The story is told that just before Leonardo da Vinci painted the faces of the disciples on ‘The Last Supper’ painting, da Vinci had a terrible argument with a fellow artist. He determined to paint his fellow artist’s face into the portrait as that of Judas Iscariot, and thus take revenge by handing down the man in infamy and scorn to succeeding generations. Thus the face of Judas was one of the first he finished, and everyone could easily recognize the face of the painter with whom he had quarreled.

However, when he came to paint the face of Christ he couldn’t make any progress at all. Something seemed to be frustrating even his best efforts. At length he came to the decision that the cause of this difficulty was in his bitterness and lack of forgiveness toward his fellow painter. He came to the conclusion that you cannot at the same time be painting the features of Christ into your own life, and painting another with the colors of hatred and enmity.

Is there someone in your life you need to forgive?

Tags: da Vinci, forgiveness