The Fool’s Slow Descent

March 16, 2026

A careful study of this story quickly reveals that it is not historical, but it is very instructive. It is about Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, “The Last Supper.” As the parable goes, before depicting the thirteen figures at the table, he wanted models whose faces captured his vision of each man. One Sunday, during mass at the cathedral, da Vinci spotted a young man in the choir whose features radiated love, tenderness, humility, compassion, and kindness. He looked exactly like da Vinci’s conception of Jesus. Arrangements were quickly made, and the young man was honored to sit as the model for Christ.

Years passed, and the painting remained unfinished. As all of the other men were found to represent the other disciples, da Vinci struggled to find the right face for Judas Iscariot. He needed a man whose features showed despair, wickedness, greed and sin. A decade after beginning the work, he discovered such a man in prison. The prisoner’s face bore every quality da Vinci sought, and permission was granted, for the man to pose as Judas.

As da Vinci painted, and the portrait progressed, he noticed changes in the prisoner. Tension filled his face and his bloodshot eyes stared in horror at the canvas likeness of himself. Until one day, the unease became so great that da Vinci stopped painting and asked, “What seems to trouble you so much?” The man buried his face in his hands and sobbed convulsively and, after a long silence, he raised his head and asked, “Do you not remember me? Years ago, I was your model for the Lord, Jesus.”

The man had turned his back on Christ. Sin and the world drew him down to degradation’s lowest levels. He no longer loved what he once cherished. What he once hated and despised, he now embraced. Love gave way to misery and hate, hope turned to despair, and light became darkness.

This tale is a powerful Christian parable that warns of the slow spiritual decay that follows rejecting Christ. No one sets out to become a fool, imprisoned by his or her own sins. It happens gradually, through bad choices and moral decline. Solomon’s Proverbs describe this slide into folly with sobering clarity.

Proverbs 1:7 declares, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Fools reject correction, choosing short-term pleasure over long-term wisdom. Proverbs 14:16 notes, “The wise fear the Lord and shun evil, but a fool is hotheaded and yet feels secure.” Fools feel safe in sin, ignoring consequences. Proverbs 13:20 warns, “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” Bad company accelerates the descent.

Proverbs 6:16-19 lists what God hates: pride, lying, shedding innocent blood, plotting evil, rushing to evil, false witness, stirring conflict. These sins, unchecked, harden hearts. Proverbs 26:11 says: “As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.” Repetition deepens bondage. The man who modeled Christ became Judas-like through incremental choices, each rejection of truth, each embrace of sin, until his face mirrored his soul.

Solomon’s wisdom shows that no one plans to become a fool. Folly creeps in through small compromises. A little pride, a small lie, a moment of greed, and imperceptibly, each choice erodes character. Over time, the heart hardens, love fades, despair grows. The parable reminds us that if we reject Christ, then foolishness and spiritual decay will surely follow. Embrace Him, and transformation occurs.

The Lord’s Supper depicts Jesus with disciples, including Judas. At that table, betrayal loomed, yet Jesus offered grace. No one is beyond redemption… until they refuse it. Solomon urges, “Get wisdom, get understanding… She will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you” (Proverbs 4:5-6). Choose wisdom daily and avoid folly’s path.

What small choices have you made that led/could lead toward wisdom or folly? Which Proverbs on fools most warns you? Do you hear God’s word correcting you? How does the Lord’s Supper remind you of grace amid potential failure? This week, what one choice can you make that will help you avoid the fool’s path?

The tale is fiction, but its truth echoes Solomon’s counsel. Bad choices, repeated, turn saints into shadows. Good choices, pursued, lead to life. At the Lord’s Supper, Jesus invites us to choose wisely, to eat, drink, remember, and follow. Do so, and we avoid the fool’s tragic end, and our lives become a glorification of the power of God’s wisdom and grace in our lives. (To learn more about Al Earley or read previous articles, see www.lagrangepres.org. You can purchase my book, My Faith Journal, at Amazon.com, a compilation of 366 articles as a daily devotional. Check out my podcast on YouTube, called “My Faith Journey”).