Tag Archives: Biblical

Bible Study, Devotions

The Lost Art of Biblical Meditation

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Meditation in modern society has come to mean many things to many people, most common of which is a mystical practice rooted in a belief that emptying one’s mind of all thoughts will lead you into a higher, albeit relaxed, state of being.  Typically referred to as transcendental meditation[1], this unbiblical practice has been somewhat revitalized recently through various movements, not the least of which has been a resurgence of yoga practices and similar Buddhist-like activities, as well as by means of professing Christian movements such as the emerging/emergent church[2].

In contrast to this popular, pagan form of meditation, the biblical practice of meditation remains a lacking discipline in the lives of many followers of Christ.  Likewise, instructive teaching on it from either the pulpit or the pen remains deficient.  Ignorant to its proper meaning and spiritual benefits, we’ve shuffled meditation to the side treating it as a mystical stepchild to Christianity when the very practice is and has always been rooted in a desire to commune with God, better understand His Word, and reflect deeply upon it, ultimately leading to praise of God for His majesty and glory.

A brief survey of the biblical landscape finds a robust theme of meditation, explicitly among the Psalms but also as first observed in the patriarch Jacob, then in a command given to Joshua, and among Paul’s epistles, particularly in the instructions to young Timothy.  Additionally, other words and phrases are used to express the concept such as “think on these things” and “set you mind on” among others.  Basically, when we encounter passages of Scripture that call us to contemplate the things of God, it is generally a call to meditation.

With those biblical examples before us, let us then turn our attention toward further defining this much neglected practice.  What exactly is it? How is it performed?  Why should we meditate?  Upon what should we draw our meditative attention?  When and how often?

While it certainly would be possible to glean the answers to these questions by consolidating those verses and instances of meditation mentioned above, some of these questions and others are addressed and answered through the pen of Puritan Thomas Watson in an incredibly challenging work on the art of meditation, The Christian on the Mount.  In that treatise, Watson instructs us on the discipline of meditation by first defining it as a Christian duty.  All too often, duty has become a 4-letter word in modern Christian vernacular, perhaps one of the reasons for the neglect of this important practice.

Watson sees meditation as the “chewing upon the truths we have heard”[3] or read and that “meditation is like the watering of the seed, it makes the fruits of grace to flourish.”[4]  Going further in his definition we read that, “meditation is the soul’s retiring of itself, that by a serious and solemn thinking upon God, the heart may be raised up to heavenly affections”[5] and should be performed by way of locking up oneself from the world, which “spoils meditation” and rightly Watson rightly concludes that the “world’s music will either play us asleep or distract us in our meditations.”[6]

Using Scripture as our map and Watson as our tour guide we find that meditation is different than simply reading or studying, “study is a work of the brain; meditation is a work of the heart.”[7]  The argument could be made that a progression among these terms exists for the benefit a true gain or fruit from time spent in the Word.  First, the practice of reading followed by study then giving one’s thoughts over to the passage via meditation before settling on a practical application, which could be a new truth gleaned or wisdom for the day.

Watson then draws our attention to 15 objects for our meditations beginning with the attributes of God and concluding with meditation upon our experiences wherein we may have observed the hand of God working which may benefit us by 1) raising us to thankfulness 2) engaging our hearts to God in obedience 3) convincing us that God is no hard master 4) making us communicative to others.[8]

Summarizing our description of meditation we may conclude that it is the difference between knowing about God and knowing God.  It is the difference between knowing the truths of God’s Word and loving the truths of God’s Word.  It is the difference between a sick man noticing medicine on the shelf and that same man ingesting said medicine for a cure.  Like the transcendence of the sun apart from the immanency of its rays, so too is God’s Word when read or heard apart from the practice of divine meditation.  Quite simply, failure in this duty is akin to experiencing light from a fire without heat.  The path from the mind to the heart is paved with the gold of meditation.  Why then are so few Christians engaging in this practice?

To answer this question bluntly, Watson sees a connection between the failure to practice meditation and the reason why there are “so few good Christians.”[9]  Notice how relevant his nearly four hundred year old words are to today, “It [the practice of meditation] gives us a true account why there are so few good Christians in the world; namely, because there are so few meditating Christians: we have many that have Bible ears, they are swift to hear, but slow to meditate.  This duty is grown almost out of fashion, people are so much in the shop, that they are seldom on the Mount with God….so many who go under the name of professors, have banished good discourse from their tables, and meditation from their closets.”[10]

We conclude our holding of Watson’s hand with his offer of several pieces of practical advice from his own experiences in order to introduce us to the practice of meditation, including the best time of day, he prefers morning, the duration, he suggests at least 30 minutes, and the types (occasional: on any sudden occasion; deliberate: which he sees as chief, some set time each day) among additional helpful guidance through this practice.

So then is meditation necessary in the life of a believer?  Let us allow Watson the final word on the matter, “The necessity of meditation appears in this, because without it we can never be good Christians; a Christian without meditation is like a soldier without arms, or a workman without tools.  1. Without meditation the truths of God will not stay with us; the heart is hard, and the memory slippery, and without meditation all is lost; meditation imprints and fastens a truth in the mind, it is like the selvedge[11] which keeps the cloth from raveling.  2. Without meditation the truths which we know will never affect our hearts.”[12]

 

 

[1] From Google: “a technique for detaching oneself from anxiety and promoting harmony and self-realization by meditation, repetition of a mantra, and other yogic practices, promulgated by an international organization founded by the Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi ( circa 1911–2008)

Sometimes referred to as contemplative monastic meditation or centering prayer.

[2] Emerging Church

[3] Thomas Watson A Christian on the Mount. Google Digitized version, p. 198.

[4] Watson, 198.

[5] Ibid, 199.

[6] Ibid, 199.

[7] Ibid, 203.

[8] Ibid, 237.

[9] Ibid, 240.

[10] Ibid, 240-241.

[11] An edge produced on woven fabric during manufacture that prevents it from unraveling – wiki

[12] Watson, 239.

Christian Living, In the News

The Theology of Santa

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If you were to ask 10 professing Christians to give their opinion on the use of Santa Claus this time of year, specifically as he relates to young children, their responses would likely range from one end of the spectrum to the other.  On the one hand someone might say that there is nothing wrong with having a little fun and “sharing the magic of Christmas” by telling little ones about Santa, toys, reindeer, his sleigh, etc.  While on the other hand someone might strictly prohibit such folklore for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the confusion of Santa’s characteristics with those of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Before you dismiss this post as an attack on the mythological kingdom of Santa, let’s logically work through this issue and think clearly and biblically about what is involved.

Last year I posted an excellent article on Santa written by Pastor John Piper’s wife, Noel.  In that article she described how she addressed Santa Claus with her children as they were growing up and she gives helpful advice to fellow parents who are faced with the same challenge.  There was a lot of feedback on that post with really good comments, but unfortunately they were on Facebook, so we’re left without a record to reflect back on here.  I commend that article to you as well and hope that you may find it helpful.  Since that post seemed to reflect the spectrum of opinions that I alluded to earlier, I thought it necessary this year to explore a bit deeper into the persona of Santa that the world has created.

Below is the old Christmas song that we’ve all grown up with which describes some of Santa’s characteristics and some biblical issues with this, which we’ll identify below:    

You better watch out!
Better not cry!
Better not pout!
I’m telling you why,
Santa Claus is comin’ to town.

He’s making a list
and checking it twice.
He’s going to find out who’s naughty and nice.
Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town.

He sees when you’re sleeping.
He knows when you’re awake.
He knows if you’ve been bad or good.
So be good for goodness sake!

You better watch out!
Better not cry!
Better not pout!
I’m telling you why,
Santa Claus is comin’ to town.

I know what some of you are probably thinking, “Is this guy seriously going to dissect a silly make believe children’s song?”  “What is the harm in Santa?”  The problem is not Santa himself because he doesn’t exist.  The problem is the thought process behind him and just how closely his character mimics that of Jesus.  Something we’ll refer to here as the Theology of Santa. 

Take a look at the seemingly innocent song from above and think about it not just in terms of your adult mind, but through the mind of a child.  In the first stanza, bad behavior, namely “pouting” or “crying” is discouraged because Santa is coming.  The motive for good behavior comes from the thought of being rewarded for it and there is an anticipation of his coming so as to receive that reward.  Compare this thought that is taught to children from the earliest of ages with what we should be teaching our children from the Bible.  We read of quite a different message in Isaiah 64:6 “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.  We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”  Here Isaiah puts our “good deeds” in perspective by stating they are literally like a polluted (bloody) rag.  Likewise the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:9 states “and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.”  Paul informs us that his (and our) righteousness is not of his own, but instead the righteousness is actually God’s that comes from faith in Jesus.  Additionally, the Bible does not merely reduce sin to bad behavior that goes unrewarded, but it clearly states that sin will be punished by death. Romans 3:23 With this we can introduce our first danger of propagating the Theology of Santa.    Danger #1: Good behavior is rewarded.  Bad behavior isn’t punished, but simply goes unrewarded.

In the second stanza we see the division of good vs. bad, or “naughty vs. nice”, as it’s so eloquently described.  This division, captured in a “list”, highlights the importance of being good because the record of rights and wrongs are closely monitored and those who have met the performance requirements will be deemed “good”, while those who fail the standard are classified “bad”.  This thought assumes the ability of a person (or child) to be moral based on their own ability and establishes a standard external to themselves.  Contrast that with Romans 3:10-17 that highlights the sinful nature of man “10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” 14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”  Additionally, Psalm 103:12 affirms that a record of transgressions are not kept and held against those who are children of God, but instead they are cast “as far as the east is from the west.”  Also we read in Colossians 2:14 that God cancelled our “record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.  This He set aside, nailing it to the cross.”  This brings us to summarizeDanger #2: Perform to the best of your moral ability.  A record of your good is weighed against the record of your bad and you will be rewarded accordingly.

In the third stanza, we get a closer glimpse into the mythical attributes of Santa.  1) Omnipresence: he knows when you’re sleeping and awake.  2) Omniscience: he knows whether you’ve been good or bad.  3) Omnipotent: his ability to distribute rewards or withhold them based on performance.  Clearly these are attributes of deity assigned to a mythical man for the purpose of inspiring good behavior.  Again, moralist behavior is emphasized for its own sake.  The biblical implications here are quite obvious, because it’s clear that those attributes given to Santa are the same possessed by God.  Not only is this idolatrous, but creates an obstacle in trying to explain to children who God really is and in describing His uniquely divine characteristics.  Likewise, it subverts the biblical message of holiness in the lives of believers.   Danger #3: God is not unique in His divine characteristics.

Likely some of you are dismissing this entire study as pointless and juvenile, but my prayer is that others of you are seriously considering the implications.  It is a shame that kids are taught more about how to respond and react to Santa than they are to Jesus Christ.  Look again at the brief list of issues that we’ve come up with and think about them in terms of your children.  How their behavior is not guided by biblical standards, but instead through a moralistic program that rewards performance.  The reward drives the behavior, not the desire to please or honor Christ.  Second, think about the elaborate system that is set up in teaching young children about Santa.  Fundamentally it is lying to them, no matter how it’s dissected because we are telling them someone exists that truly doesn’t (and no, the actual figure St. Nicholas did not possess characteristics of deity so the two figures are not equal).  Finally, once this system is created and the annual anticipation is built up for Santa year after year, what becomes of the child when he/she is actually confronted with the truth?  Heartbroken?  Feelings of being lied to?  Are they then to ever believe that God actually exists, since some of His attributes have been assigned to a Santa that now doesn’t exist?  Why should they believe that Jesus will judge us according to His moral law and that it’s through no performance of our own, but by relying on the righteousness of Christ instead?  Why should they believe that, for fear that they may only have the proverbial rug pulled from under them again?  Simply stated, the benefits do not outweigh the consequences.

One final thought, children aside, what we’ve determined to be the “Theology of Santa” is actually symptomatic of our society today.  The “God” that many people worship in this country is not too far removed from the one described above.  We’ve reduced God to a jolly father-time looking old man that has our best interests at heart and is there merely to bless us with rewards.  As long as our good outweighs our bad, then we’re in good standing with Him.  Throw in a few genie lamp rubs of “God help me through this” and what we have is not too different than the figure described earlier.  Author and professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, Christian Smith coined a term known as moralistic therapeutic deism that we can apply here.  He summarizes those who unknowingly ascribe to this as having 1) A God exists who created and orders the world and watches over human life on earth.  2)  God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.  3) The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about one-self.  4) God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when he is needed to resolve a problem. 5) Good people go to heaven when they die. 

At its heart, this is precisely what is on display with the logic behind something as seemingly benign as the Santa Claus myth.  A god created in the mind of man that exists to reward us as long as we are on our best behavior and fair to one another.  He is distant, uninvolved, and disinterested until it becomes mainly about us and then He becomes personal.  Any figure/persona/being/object that is given deified attributes and is placed on a pedestal either equal or above the one true living God as He is described in the Bible is an idol.  To worship or revere such a figure is idolatrous and a violation of the 1st Commandment.  We’ve overlooked that in this country all in the name of fun and “Christmas spirit”, but it’s not all that different than the god of Hinduism or Buddhism, and as we’ve seen the god of some professing Christians as well.  Pray about this and make biblically informed decisions about how best to handle this with your own children.  Don’t follow the path that the world creates for the sake of conformity.  Follow the path of Christ for the sake of obedience.