In Jesus, the One and Only, Beth Moore invites us to meditate on small sections of Luke's gospel. She encourages the use of our imaginations to bring stories of Jesus alive; a bit like lectio divina, the idea is to enter into the 'Living Word' rather than analyse it from a distance. 

Revealing deeper meaning

Something I've found very helpful is the way Moore shares the Greek meaning of certain words. For example, the song Mary sings when greeting Elizabeth is much more joyful than I'd appreciated. When she sings, 'My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,' apparently, the original Greek for 'rejoices' is agalliao, meaning:

'to exult, leap for joy, to show one's joy by leaping and skipping denoting excessive or ecstatic joy or delight. Often spoken of rejoicing with song and dance.'

This helped me to recognise that God loves it when we express our excitement; it reminded me that we can intentionally, freely express our gratitude for all He's done.

Avoiding personal bias 

I've also found that this book helps to challenge my very Western, British thinking. We all approach scripture with our own 'lens,' making assumptions when we don't even realise it. Moore opens up the passages, making key points such as the fact that the journey Mary and Joseph took from Bethlehem to Nazareth involved trekking over miles of hills and mountains. Obedience was difficult for them; we shouldn't be surprised when it's hard for us too.

Colloquial style 

Moore writes in a very chatty style, which has its pros and cons. Although the very point of meditative studies are to 'flesh out' the text, I personally think she could say more in fewer words. However, since the tone of the book is conversational, it makes it very easy to read. 

I haven't yet come to the end of the book, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to meditate on the gospels. The passages are brought alive in a refreshing and informative way. The result? We know Jesus better. And that's always a good thing!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Book review by Louise Champness, May 2013