Counting and Contemplating Blessings and Archetypes on Matthew's Mountains (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781633087644)

Counting and Contemplating Blessings and Archetypes On Matthew's Mountains, Using the Rule of Nines starts with a creative presentation of the Transfiguration, portraying it as Jesus' dramatic answer to Moses' request 1500 years earlier on Mount Sinai, "Please let me see your glory!" Witnessed by Peter, James, and John, the Transfiguration is the perfect example of a theme subtly woven throughout Matthew's Gospel, namely that each of the nine times Jesus said "Blessed are" at the start of the Sermon on the Mount can be linked to one of nine biblical archetypes, 1. Adam and Eve, 2. Abel, 3. Noah, 4. Abraham, 5. Joseph, 6. Moses, 7. David, 8. John the Baptist, and 9. Jesus, Mary, and the New Testament Church. By examining these nine connections through the eyes of Jesus and His disciples, the book creates a fascinating narrative that uncovers Matthew's theological insights and the continuity of God's plan from the Old Testament to the New Testament, making seemingly remote and complex theological themes accessible and engaging. Counting and Contemplating concludes with questions that encourage its readers to ask how, when, where, in what place, and why to apply the Beatitudes, The Rule of Nines, to their faith journey so that they may draw closer to the Living God.