March 19: The Righteous and the Wicked Contrasted
♫ Music:
Day 34 - Monday, March 19
Title: The Righteous and the Wicked Contrasted
Scripture: Psalm 1:1-3
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.
Poetry: Blessing the Boats
By Lucille Clifton
(at St. Mary’s)
may the tide
that is entering even now
the lip of our understanding
carry you out
beyond the face of fear
may you kiss
the wind then turn from it
certain that it will
love your back may you
open your eyes to water
water waving forever
and may you in your innocence
sail through this to that
THE WICKED AND THE RIGHTEOUS CONTRASTED
Years ago I toured London’s Parliament Building, learning about the “hall of yay” and the “hall of nay.” British legislators, rather than pressing a button to record their vote, had to physically be present in the “hall of yay” or the “hall of nay” to vote. The tour guide excitedly shared that at one point, a legislator was literally carried in on a stretcher so he could cast his vote. Legislators, to be in the game, had to make a choice … they had to be present and choose their corridor. There was no middle ground.
Psalm 1:1-3 contrasts the life of the wicked and the life of the righteous, reminding us that we must choose which spiritual corridor in which to stand. The wicked walks in the counsel of the wicked, stands in the path of sinners, and sits in the seat of scoffers. These corridors lead to death. Whereas, the righteous individual finds delight in the law of the Lord and meditates on His law day and night. Scripture is his corridor of righteousness and there he finds life in Jesus.
Meditate means to reflect, mull over, ponder, ruminate or chew over (i.e., like a cow chewing its cud). Meditate is from the Latin meditatus, past participle of meditari, which means “to think” or “reflect upon”. Meditate is also related to mederi which means, “to heal,” “to cure,” or “to remedy.” In other words, meditating on God’s Word and finding JESU, heals, cures, and remedies our lost state, bringing life to our souls.
Dutch realist painter, Helmental, said the bottle, magnifying the word JESU, was placed on the first page of the New Testament to highlight Jesus as fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and the beginning of new life. The plant beautifully illustrates the fruitful believer whose roots go deep into God’s Word.
Lucille Clifton’s “Blessing the Boats” poem captures with clarity the profound power of the sea and wind to buoy a boat out to sea, beyond the breakers, to the open ocean’s bounteous catch. For the fisherman, the sea is fierce and mysterious, yet he fearlessly sails upon it, buoyed by His Maker, to access the treasure troves awaiting his nets. And what treasure there is in knowing Jesus!
Similarly, the righteous man places himself in the corridor of righteousness, immersing himself in God’s Word, becoming “like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither and in all that he does, he prospers” (Psalm 1:3).
So how do we prepare for new life in Jesus?
Songwriter Sufjan Stevens peacefully proclaims, “And I am joining all my thought to you … and I am preparing every part for you …” for you see it’s all or nothing when it comes to the one you love. You either bow to your Maker and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:9-11), immersing your mind in His Word and His Way, like the fisherman who fearlessly sails upon the sea, or face the fate of living in the corridor of unrighteousness.
… there is no middle ground.
Life is only found in Jesus.
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, I worship you in this moment. For You are the Way, You are the Truth, and You are the Life. No one comes to the Father but through You, JESU, my corridor of righteousness. Magnify Yourself in me; I commit myself to do your bidding. No compromises … only Your empowerment to do the right thing. I say “yes” to You and “yes” to Your ways.
In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.
June Hetzel, Ph.D.
Dean of the School of Education
Biola University
About the Artwork:
New Life
Henk Helmantel
1999 after the 1972 original
Oil on canvas
28 x 32.5 cm
This is a copy of the original painting artist Henk Helmantel made in 1972 which was stolen during an exhibition at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, in 1997. As the painting was never recovered, Helmantel painted a new one in 1999. Helmental has said that the bottle, which magnifies the word JESU, is placed on the first page of the New Testament highlighting Jesus as being the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies and the “Beginning of new life.” Also on the page appears “held in Dordrecht in the years 1618 and 1619.” This refers to the Dutch Reformed Synod’s decision to create a new translation of the Bible from the original texts, resulting in the 1637 State Translation. Therefore the title of this piece, “New Life,” has a double meaning.
About the Artist:
Henk Helmantel (b.1945) is a Dutch realist painter who has had over a hundred international exhibitions of his work. Originally part of the Impressionist movement, Helmantel’s style gradually gravitated towards Realism. He is best-known for his classically composed still-life paintings with meticulous and painstaking attention to the effects of light on bottles, vases, and other reflective items. Helmantel studied painting at the Academie Minerva in Groningen from 1961 to 1965 and became a controversial figure in his home country for his open discussions of his financial success and strong Christian beliefs. The artist also started his own museum in Westeremden where he currently lives and works. His work can be found in the Rembrandt House in Amsterdam, the Museum of Drenthe in Assen, and the Monastery Museum in Ter Apel, among other locations.
About the Music:
“All the Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands” from the album Seven Swans
Lyrics:
If I am alive this time next year
Will I have arrived in time to share?
And mine is about as good this far
And I'm still applied to what you are
And I am joining all my thoughts to you
And I'm preparing every part for you
And I heard from the trees a great parade
And I heard from the hills a band was made
And will I be invited to the sound?
And will I be a part of what you've made?
And I am throwing all my thoughts away
And I'm destroying every bet I've made
And I am joining all my thoughts to you
And I'm preparing every part for you
For you
About the Composer/Performer:
Sufjan Stevens (b. 1975) is an American singer-songwriter, best-known for his skill in a variety of instruments and musical styles. He has an MFA from The New School in New York City, and founded the Indie record label Asthmatic Kitty with his stepfather. Though Stevens does not like to talk about his faith to the press, and has stated that he keeps his beliefs out of his music, his 2004 folk-rock album Seven Swans is full of Christian themes, symbolism, and stories. The opening track from Stevens' fourth studio album Seven Swans takes its title from Isaiah 55:12: “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”
About the Poet:
Lucille Clifton (1936-2010) was one of the most distinguished, decorated, and beloved poets of her time. She won the National Book Award for Poetry for Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems 1988-2000, and was the first African-American female recipient of the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize for lifetime achievement from the Poetry Foundation. Ms. Clifton received many additional honors throughout her career, including the Discovery Award from the New York YW/YMHA Poetry Center, a 1976 Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for the television special Free to Be You and Me, a Lannan Literary Award in 1994, and the Robert Frost Medal from the Poetry Society of America in 2010. Her honors and awards give testament to the universality of her unique and resonant voice. In 1987, she became the first author to have two books of poetry – Good Woman and Next – chosen as finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in the same year. She was also the author of eighteen children’s books, and in 1984 received the Coretta Scott King Award from the American Library Association for her book Everett Anderson’s Good-bye.
About the Devotional Writer:
Dr. June Hetzel is the Dean of the School of Education at Biola University and a recent graduate of Talbot School of Theology’s Spiritual Formation and Soul Care Program. She is interested in how the Holy Spirit’s ongoing work shapes one’s interior life, empowering the believer to say, “yes” to God’s ways.