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The Ninefold Path of Jesus

Hidden Wisdom of the Beatitudes

by Mark Scandrette

What if we lived in a world of abundance?

In the Beatitudes, Jesus offers nine sayings that move us beyond our first instincts and instead embrace the deeper reality of the kingdom of God. They name the illusions and false beliefs that have kept us chained and imprisoned. We’ve learned to live from a mentality of anxiety and greed, but what if a world of abundance with solace and comfort are actually near? We’ve learned to live by striving, competition, and comparison, but what if we all have equal dignity and worth?

Mark Scandrette shows how the Beatitudes invite us into nine new postures for life. Instead of living in fear, we can choose radical love. It’s often assumed that the good life is only for the most wealthy, attractive, and powerful. Poor, sad, and suffering people are left out. But the ninefold path of the Beatitudes is for everyone. Whatever your story, whatever your struggle, wherever you find yourself, this way is available to you.

2021 IVP

Recommendations

Mark Scandrette is a poet, an artist, and an instigator of holy mischief. In this book, he explores the wisdom of the Beatitudes of Jesus. If you set out to compile a list of values that contradict the highest aspirations of popular American culture, you couldn't do much better than the Beatitudes of Jesus, where Christ blesses the poor, the meek, the merciful, the peacemakers. In short, Jesus blesses all the people that our world is crushing, and he includes the people we have excluded. If you're not yet convinced that the call of Jesus is countercultural and revolutionary, just consider Christ's Beatitudes and Mark's reflections on them in this book. Jesus is literally flipping the world upside-down . . . or right-side up . . . so that the last are first and the first are last. This is what God is up to, and we are invited to be a part of it. Let Mark Scandrette lead you into the hidden secrets of Jesus. If we want to be blessed by God, we need to be near to the people that this world is crushing. The blessing is not at the top but at the bottom.
Shane Claiborne, Author, activist, and cofounder of Red Letter Christians
Mark Scandrette issues us a compelling and winsome invitation to cultivate the kingdom of God within and around us, and then hands us tools so we can roll up our sleeves and dig in. Poet and activist, both grounded and visionary, he is a master craftsman in spiritual formation. This book will inspire and equip you to emulate both the radical heart orientation and lifestyle of Jesus.
Jill Weber, 24-7 Prayer International leadership team and author of Even the Sparrow

About the Author