Psalm 1:1–3; 119:11–16; Mark 1:35–39

Bible Studies for Life
Associate Professor of Religion, Department of Religion, Samford University

A Lifestyle of Meditation
Psalm 1:1–3; 119:11–16; Mark 1:35–39
“Be quiet!” As a parent of young children, I am somewhat chagrined to think of the times I have uttered “Be quiet!” in a voice that undercuts the very thing I am asking them to do. We all need peace and quiet to give our minds and souls rest from the artificial hurriedness that marks our daily routines. In the gardens of quiet that remain, we can then give our attention to the cultivation of the spiritual disciplines. In our lessons over the past few weeks, we have seen how disciplines such as humility, service and sacrifice are best understood when we look to Christ’s example. But how can we truly know this example as something other than words on a page? The discipline of meditation involves learning to calm our minds and empty them of what is not useful so that we may fill them with what the living Christ has to teach us.

Delight in the Law (Ps. 1:1–3)
These verses introduce Psalm 1 and the entire Psalter with a beatitude: Those who delight in the Law (Torah) of the Lord are blessed. Blessing here should not be understood as reward in the sense that if I simply study hard enough or commit enough Scripture to memory, then I will be rewarded for my perseverance. Instead the blessing’s riches lie in the practice itself. Another common translation of the word traditionally rendered as “blessed” makes this clear: “Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked.” Here again, the English word “happy” has its own limitations and should not be understood to mean the temporary satisfaction of our passing fancies but rather the deep, soul-sustaining sense of belonging to God and walking in His ways. The contrasts in the psalm are telling. The opposite of blessed or happy is not cursed or sad but wicked (1:4–6). Here the wicked appear more transient than evil: They are like chaff (the useless part of the grain) carried away by the breeze. They have no foundation. In contrast, the happy person is “a tree planted by streams of water,” well-rooted, stable and prepared to flourish. This metaphor of two paths or ways is common in both the Old and New testaments (Deut. 30:15–20; Prov. 7 and 8; Matt. 7:13–14). In each case, the reader is encouraged to choose the path that leads to life.

Treasure It in Your Heart (Ps. 119:11–16)
This longest of the psalms is marked by several patterns. It is divided into 22 eight-line sections, with the first letter of each section forming an acrostic that follows the Hebrew alphabet. In addition, the psalmist repeatedly used eight synonyms for Law (Torah), his subject. The result is a rich exploration of God’s Torah that moves beyond the basic association with Mosaic law to the fuller context of the many ways that He instructs humankind. The psalmist found such instruction in the cosmic order (119:64, 89–91) as well as his life experiences interpreted in light of God’s word (119:25–28, 81–84). The discovery of God’s teaching woven throughout the cosmos in both grand and minute ways requires a keen eye and constant attention. God’s word must be “treasured in the heart” (11), the object of the soul’s longing (119:20). Such single-minded focus could be a recipe for a showy piety worn on the sleeve, but at its best, it forms the foundational bedrock of the life lived constantly before God.

Follow Jesus’ Example (Mark 1:35–39)
How can I know what God’s word is for me in this time and place? That we need to spend time in prayer and meditation to discern God’s purposes in our lives is best seen in Jesus’ example. Mark’s Gospel records that Jesus sought time away from His followers to commune with God at crucial points in His ministry (6:46; 14:32). His message was clear enough — “the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news” (1:15) — but living out of His calling required time in “deserted places.” How easy it was for Jesus in first-century Palestine, we might be tempted to believe, and how hard it is for us to find those quiet places. However, practicing the discipline of meditation has less to do with escaping all of life’s distractions than it does with committing ourselves to what we know to be enduring and sustaining.