Blessed are those who hear and obey the Word of God

Luke 11:27-28

27 While he was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!” 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!”

The woman in the crowd was moved by Jesus’ teaching, moved as she recognized that Jesus was bringing the reign of God with him. She also recognized that Jesus was fully human – born an infant and nursed as a baby. And overwhelmed by who Jesus is, the woman rejoiced in how blessed Mary (his mother) was. The experience of being Jesus’ mother is being raised up as a sign of blessing in Mary’s life.

Jesus says that the truly blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it. The blessing lies not in the experiences Mary had as Jesus’ mother, but in her having heard God’s word and obeyed it (see Luke 1:38). The blessing lies not in having been the sisters and brothers of Jesus, but in being people who hear the word of God and follow it (Luke 8:19-21).

This stretches the community of the blessed beyond those who were physically close to Jesus – to include everyone through time and across geography who hears the Word of God and obeys it. Thus, all people everywhere have the opportunity to be among those who are blessed. Blessed as those who hear God’s Word and choose to follow it.

This dramatically changes the ways in which to understand God’s blessing. It is not rooted in experiences or in material signs; it is not rooted in success be that material, physical, or even spiritual; it is not linked to position or status – no, instead God’s blessing is rooted in being among those who have heard the Word of God and have obeyed it.  May we rejoice in the blessing of God in our lives as we stand among those who have heard the Word of God and commit ourselves to obey it.

PRAYER:   

God who speaks, you have given us your Word, the Bible, which records the words of your Son, Jesus Christ. We rejoice that we can hear and read these words, may your Holy Spirit also help us to obey them. And then we will be among the blessed drawn from every time and place. In Jesus’ name. Amen.