Meditation is a practice that has been around for thousands of years, and has been adopted by many religions and cultures. But did Jesus meditate? And if so, what kind of meditation did he practice? In this article, I will explore some evidence from the Bible and ancient Palestine that suggests that Jesus did indeed meditate, and how his meditation might relate to our modern understanding of the term.
Meditation is a practice that has been around for thousands of years, and has been adopted by many religions and cultures. The question of whether Jesus meditated or not has been debated by scholars and believers for centuries. The answer may depend on how one defines meditation and what sources one consults. According to some evidence from the Bible and ancient Palestine, Jesus did practice some form of meditation, but it may not be exactly the same as what is commonly understood today.
One possible indication that Jesus meditated is his habit of spending time in solitary prayer and contemplation. The Bible records several instances where Jesus withdrew from the crowds and his disciples to pray alone, sometimes for long hours or even days. For example, before choosing his twelve apostles, Jesus spent the whole night in prayer on a mountain (Luke 6:12). After feeding the five thousand, he dismissed the people and went up on a mountainside by himself to pray (Matthew 14:23). And before his arrest and crucifixion, he prayed fervently in the garden of Gethsemane, asking his Father to take away the cup of suffering (Mark 14:32-42).
Another possible indication that Jesus meditated is his familiarity with meditation from his Jewish background and travels. Meditation was not a foreign concept to Judaism, as it is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. For example, the psalmist writes: "Blessed is the man...[whose] delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night" (Psalm 1:1-2). Some Jewish teachers in the time of Jesus were also beginning to adopt a more personal, mystical approach to religion, such as the Essenes, a sect that lived in the desert and practiced asceticism and meditation. Moreover, some scholars suggest that Jesus may have encountered other forms of meditation during his travels to Egypt, India, or other places, although this is highly speculative and controversial.
However, some sources argue that Jesus did not meditate in the way that most people think of meditation today. They claim that Jesus did not seek to empty his mind or achieve a state of altered consciousness, but rather to glorify his Father and align his will with God's. They also point out that meditation is only mentioned twice in the New Testament, according to one dictionary, and that the Greek word used for it (meletao) means to ponder or reflect, not to silence or transcend the mind. They suggest that Jesus' prayer was more like a conversation with God than a passive listening or contemplation.
Therefore, the answer to whether Jesus meditated may vary depending on the definition of meditation used. Some sources say yes, based on biblical records of Jesus spending time in solitary prayer and contemplation, being familiar with meditation from his Jewish background and travels, and possibly meditating during his 40 days in the wilderness. Others say no, or rather, that Jesus meditated in a different way than what is commonly understood today, by glorifying his Father in every moment of his life. For more information, you can refer to this following video: