Toward the Kingdom of Heaven: 40 Daily Readings on the Sermon on the Mount

by Amy-Jill Levine

How is the follower of Jesus to understand the words of the Old Testament? How are those words relevant to the New Covenant He is establishing? What might the words of the Lord’s Prayer have conveyed to his initial followers, and why is that historical information essential to the prayer two millennia later?In Sermon on the Mount, Dr. Amy-Jill Levine takes a detailed and colorful overview of Matthew 5-7, collectively known as Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Through Dr. Levine’s engaging method of biblical interpretation, readers will come away with a solid understanding of the Sermon on the Mount in its historical and theological context.This collection of 40 daily readings is drawn from Amy-Jill Levine’s teachings on the Sermon on the Mount. Containing additional stories, insights, and lessons from the author, the reader further illuminates the wisdom of Jesus’ most famous sermon.

Genres: Christianity, Religion

130 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 6, 2020

About the author

Amy-Jill Levine is University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies and Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School and Department of Jewish Studies. Her books include The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus; Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi; four children's books (with Sandy Sasso); The Gospel of Luke (with Ben Witherington III); and The Jewish Annotated New Testament (co-edited with Marc Z. Brettler). Her most recent books are The Bible With and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently (co-authored with Marc Z. Brettler), Sermon on the Mount: A Beginner's Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven; and The Kingdom of Heaven: 40 Devotionals. In 2019 she became the first Jew to teach New Testament at Rome's Pontifical Biblical Institute. Professor Levine, who has done over 300 programs for churches, clergy groups, and seminaries, has been awarded grants from the Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the American Council of Learned Societies. Institutions granting her honorary degrees include Christian Theological Seminary and the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest.

Reviews

[Andrea Engle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jewish scholar Amy-Jill Levine takes a close look at the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) in these forty, two-to-three page meditations … the book celebrates the Jewishness of Jesus, and sheds light on certain aspects of his teachings … insightful …

[Lbech · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Levine is a treasure trove. When she explains the Jewish background for many of the things Jesus said and did, the "kingdom of heaven" becomes clearer and more to be desired. I was convicted of some things I needed to address in my own life and wanting to go deeper.

Two things stand out in this book 1) Christians should school themselves on Judaism because it is our roots. We have far more in common than what separates us. 2) I am a retired pastor. I wish I had this book to read when I was actively writing sermons.

[Pam Dubov · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a gem and so helpful in learning more about the Jewish roots of many of Jesus’ teachings. It has also been a wonderful 40-day devotional guide and provided several nudges toward future sermons. It has inspired me to order Dr. Levine’s book Sermon the Mount to learn more.

[Jill M Caldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good critical insight, and A.J.'s knowledge of first century life in the Holy Land is extraordinary. Each reading is a good reading for a daily meditation.