The Apostles, St. Paul and St. Barnabas at Lystra 1645

Jacob Jordaens painted "The Apostles, St. Paul and St. Barnabas at Lystra" with oil on canvas. Here, we witness a pivotal moment: the people of Lystra, awestruck by Paul and Barnabas's miracle, mistake them for gods. The priest of Zeus prepares to offer sacrifices, a scene brimming with symbolic weight. Note the raised hands of Paul and Barnabas, a gesture of denial, of averting the false worship. This reaching towards the heavens echoes across centuries, recurring in depictions of divine intervention. The intended sacrifice is a motif that predates Christianity, appearing in ancient myths, reflecting humanity’s primal impulse to appease higher powers. The averted sacrifice, however, marks a shift, a conscious rejection of outdated beliefs. This scene touches a deep, psychological chord: the struggle between old faiths and new revelations, capturing the tension between inherited beliefs and emerging truths. It is a potent reminder of our collective past and its enduring impact on the present.