I tend to pick up any book at all that talks about our Savior Jesus. What is more appealing to me is when the text comments directly on His words. Now if the author throws in the words “kingdom” or gives special attention to the Sermon on the Mount, than I just melt. It is for that reason that I have picked up and journeyed alongside Hart as he visits Christ’s words from the Mount anew.
And that is his mission in this book. Hart has done life alongside Christ for decades. Christ’s words roll off of his tongue and out of his heart with ease and have done so for years. He’s older now and has pieced together his work on account of his desire to sit with fresh eyes at the foot of the Mount. He wants to hear the same message with eyes wide open, just as a child being taught something the first time by his careful Father. But Hart recognizes he comes with baggage and presuppositions and it is because of those things that he wishes to let the Teacher speak to him. In other words, Hart is in a new stage of life and his hope is that the age-old truths will speak to his present situation in a new light.
Learn more or pick up a copy here.
So Hart does a good job of developing the context and walking through the beautiful teachings of our King with relevance. This is not a scholarly masterpiece on the historical Jesus nor does it provide one with a lengthy biography to launch your studies on the Sermon on the Mount. This book is a smooth, pastoral and convicting read. The book echoes Christ’s message of prioritizing the Kingdom; if you are looking for such a book, than this may be worth your time.
I would invite pastors, especially those who have overseen a flock for quite some time, to journey alongside Hart in his study.
Learn more about the text from the author himself over at this article on EerdWord.com.
Back cover reads:
Blessed are the poor in spirit. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. You cannot serve God and mammon. Judge not, that you be not judge.
Though such sayings from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount are very familiar, many people — including Christians! — struggle to fully understand and follow them. For those who are brave enough to reconsider what Jesus really said, Addison Hodges Hart offers Taking Jesus at His Word.
“Finally, someone who not only studies the Scriptures but also makes sense of them for life here and now, up close and personal! Thanks to Addison Hodges Hart — whose writing is warm, real, and lilting — the Sermon on the Mount comes alive as a veritable template to guide us through the twists and turns of our lives. This is a beautiful book, one that promises to be read over and over again.” — Joan Chittister
“As ironic as it may seem, it’s more popular these days to call Jesus ‘Lord’ than it is to strive to do what he taught. For all who wants to follow Jesus’ teachings, Taking Jesus at His Word is a beautiful gift. I’m grateful to Hart — and more amazed than ever by Jesus.” — Brian D. McLaren
“Addison Hart comes to the Sermon on the Mount seeking bedrock guidance from Jesus for the fundamental question facing all of us, Christian and non-Christian alike: How should I live my live? Hart’s reflections provide thoughtful insights into these bracing teachings of Jesus. This isn’t the last word on the Sermon, but it will help readers find for themselves Jesus’ path of life.” — Rodney A. Whitacre
Addison Hodges Hart is retired pastor and college chaplain. He is also the author of Knowing Darkness: On Skeptism, Melancholy, Friendship, and God and The Yoke of Jesus: A School for the Soul in Solitude (both Eerdmans).
Find this book either at Eerdmans, Amazon.com, or your favorite local bookstore.
Author: Addison Hodges Hart
Published 2012 by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
166 pages
** This book was provided free from www.eerdmans.com with my promise to post an unbiased review.
