"Challenge" has routinely been associated with the message of Jesus—and rightly so. But beyond the challenging words of Jesus come the "hard sayings"; these persist in shaking us out of our easy chairs of faith and stir us to reexamine the gospel in all its glory—the glory of the Crucified One. When it comes to stirring others to hear that hard message of the Cross and to guiding the faithful in understanding the same, no one could ask for a better set of guides than James R. Carroll and his son, John T. Carroll. This blend of seasoned ministerial experience and solid scholarly talents yields a rich interpretation that is simultaneously down to earth and yet original and insightful.
"I am deeply impressed by how well this pair has managed to produce a work of stellar quality. . . . This is a remarkable collaboration and a remarkable book. I recommend it with great enthusiasm and some trepidation, which is as it should be. These are not light, cheery sayings [of Jesus] for those who are out of sorts. They are weighty and troubling words, intended for the self-satisfied as well as the unsatisfied, and the Carrolls do nothing to diminish their power or to relieve our unease. More power to them!"
—David Noel Freedman, Professor of Hebrew Biblical Studies, University of California, San Diego

"Here is what authentic biblical study is all about, the interplay of strong scholarship and rich pastoral experience in the service of the church. The remarkable partnership of scholar and pastor, son and father, that stands behind this book helps the reader understand the profound challenge of the gospel, reflected in the difficult sayings of Jesus, the very ones often ignored or blunted in contemporary interpretation. This is a book to be savored by preachers and teachers of all denominations."
—Donald Senior, C.P., President and Professor of New Testament Studies, Catholic Theological Union, Chicago