I was very excited to read this
book. I have read the Beatitudes in the
Bible (Matthew 5:3-12), but I had never really focused on them. I thought about them much as the author
describes in the beginning of the book – as something to achieve, missing the
point of the teaching. Each verse is
studied in detail in Crucifying Morality and I was amazed at how much I learned
about the true meaning of each verse as well as what that means to my life. This book challenged me to take a closer look
at myself, my motivations and my faith. It
pointed out, in a different perspective, all that Jesus has done for all of us –
whether you believe in him or not. At
times it also touched on what Christianity should look like and what it
sometimes looks like instead. Each
chapter has questions at the end to make you think deeper about what you have
read. It would make a great resource for
a Bible study small group as well as just an individual read. Also, the notes will lead you to further
reading if you are interested in delving deeper. My book is well highlighted, not just with
notes that I took to heart within the chapters, but also with which books I
would like to read stemming from the research that went into this book.
One of the sections of the book I
have highlighted really spoke to my heart.
It reads “Jesus came to live the life I should have lived and die the
death I should have died.” It goes on to
say that “the Beatitudes simply express what a life profoundly changed by Jesus
looks like.” I would love for my life to
look like that. And I’ve learned that
the only way that will happen is to turn to Jesus. I cannot do anything on my own. I knew that, but sometimes we just need to be
reminded.
*I received a free copy of this
book from Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for writing a fair review.*
