THE MODEL

A story was told many centuries ago of a renounced artist in a faraway town in Sicily Italy. The artist was engaged to paint a mural for the cathedral and the subject he was to portray was the life of Jesus Christ.

The artist worked for many years w/ diligence and finally finished the painting except for two important figures that of baby Jesus Christ and Judas. He found it extremely difficult to look for his models.

He search far and wide for suitable models and still didn’t find any until one day, while leisurely walking along the streets, he saw a young boy who had a lovely, young innocent face which stirred his heart. This was the face he was looking for to be the model of the child Jesus. The artist took the young child home and started doing his painting of the Christ child. Day by day, the child sat patiently until the face of baby Jesus was finished. But the painter still found no model for Judas.

Many men from all over the world offered to pose as a model for Judas. But the Christ found no one who would model for Judas he wanted to portray a man twisted by life, weakened by surrender to greed and lust, made by sir.

The news about the unfinished portrait spread afar and the hunt was on. Many men offered to pose as model for Judas indeed.

Many years passed and the artist found in his wanderings a miserable-looking man, all dirty and tattered.

He then thought of the old man as his model for Judas. “At last I found the perfect model”, he murmured to himself. He glanced once again at the man and was startled to find his face bearing the marks of sin it seemed.

The man asked for wine and the artist gave him.

It look a long time ago for the painter to put the man’s face on the canvas.

He worked to complete his masterpiece.

One day, while the artist was doing his painting, an alarmed look registered on his model’s face, “what? Is that my face? Do I really look like that now?” In disgusts the model covered his face and began to sob.

The artist was touched by the man’s misery what’s wrong? After a long while, the model raised his face and asked the artist. “Do you recognize me? Do you remember my face? I was your model as Christ some years back.

The artist was shocked but kept quiet and continued his work. Little did he realize how time could change a man? He pondered hard thought, how tome and circumstances could win a man.