Not your iconic Jesus

Carol Iannone introduces us to Rembrandt's Portrait of Jesus and relays the profound impact it had upon her as she viewed it in person. Here's how she describes the way this less burdened, down to earth, pensive Christ seems to study us from the canvas:

...A Christ who sized you up, maybe the way he sized up the chatty Samaritan woman at Jacob's well or the rich young man who thought so well of himself. Where are you now, viewer, he might be saying, what's going on in you, are you ready for me? What are you holding onto, what worthless baggage are you carrying so that you can't come my narrow way? You couldn't think of anything petty while in the purview of that calm, knowing, intelligent, and potentially redemptive gaze.

If this is perceived as some miniscule attempt at evangelization, so be it. But I just think that one could do worse on a Thursday morning than contemplate for a moment the most influential figure in the world's history as depicted by perhaps the greatest artist in the world's history.