As parents, we must correct the behaviors of our children or they become unruly little miscreants. This is one of the most challenging parts of parenthood. Knowing when to correct, how to correct, and what volume to use when correcting misbehavior is an elusive skill. We admire those special parents who can stop misbehavior with just an intense steely eye. That look is something we all recognize, even if we have yet to master it for ourselves.

Recently, a section of a famous 15th century painting in Belgium by brothers Jan and Hubert van Eyck , The Ghent Altarpiece, was restored. People were upset when they realized that the Lamb of God (in the panel called the Adoration of the Lamb) was giving all of us just that very kind of parental glare. Centuries ago, the painting had been altered to bear a benign fuzzy gaze, but the newly restored glance was not so approving. Suddenly, people felt judged by the painting.

In the side by side images above, compare the expressions of the Lamb.

People in the art world have been taken aback by this change. For example, art historian and writer Shannon Stirone wrote. "I have mixed feelings about this iconic creature turning into something that looks like it's about to tell you that you left the fridge door open."  Some view the restored sheep as confrontational or even creepy. Maybe it’s a good thing to remember that Jesus is coming to judge all of us. Lots of us like the concept of a fuzzy-lamby Jesus who tenderly puts up with whatever we do, but we resist the notion that He comes as a fierce lion to set us right. C. S. Lewis depicted the concept of Christ as a Lion and Lamb in a way we can more easily understand when he described a fictional Christ figure- Aslan:

The lion is fierce, glorious, and majestic, but the lamb is meek and gentle. Christ combines these qualities in His very Being. The intense gaze in the restored Lamb’s eye is good for us to consider. God sees us, He loves, us, but He does also judge us. We need God’s love, but we also need His judgement to save us and keep us from being unruly miscreants.