who is blessed, Mary or "those who hear the word of God and obey it"?

[DamianWarS]

Luke 11:27
"As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, 'Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.'"

there are those who continue in this sentiment to this day but Jesus's reply follows in v28

"[Jesus] replied, 'Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.'"

Mary is blessed indeed and this passage seems such a digressed moment and random, why is this in the text, what is its purpose? But history shows missing the mark on this topic so prospectively this passage no longer seems out of place and corrects our focus. Whenever I hear the epithet "Blessed..." Christ's words echo back "blessed rather..."

So who is blessed? Mary may indeed be blessed but we've already missed the point if that's our focus, "blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

 

[HTacianas]

Luke 11:27
"As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, 'Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.'"

there are those who continue in this sentiment to this day but Jesus's reply follows in v28

"[Jesus] replied, 'Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.'"

Mary is blessed indeed and this passage seems such a digressed moment and random, why is this in the text, what is its purpose? But history shows missing the mark on this topic so prospectively this passage no longer seems out of place and corrects our focus. Whenever I hear the epithet "Blessed..." Christ's words echo back "blessed rather..."

So who is blessed? Mary may indeed be blessed but we've already missed the point if that's our focus, "blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

Is that to say that Mary did not hear the word of God and believe it? But she did hear the word of God and believe it. Besides, she uttered one of the easiest to prove prophecies found in the bible:

Luk 1:48 - ...for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

 

[DamianWarS]

Is that to say that Mary did not hear the word of God and believe it?

no, it is to say "blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

 

[chevyontheriver]

no, it is to say "blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

Mary heard the word from the archangel Gabriel and she consented to it. She is blessed. Not merely for being the biological mother of Jesus but for hearing the word of God and obeying it.

 

[nonaeroterraqueous]

Not merely for being the biological mother of Jesus but for hearing the word of God and obeying it.

She was blessed for hearing the word of God and obeying, just the same as anyone else who hears the word of God and obeys.

 

[chevyontheriver]

She was blessed for hearing the word of God and obeying, just the same as anyone else who hears the word of God and obeys.

She was blessed, but then again, not all generations will be calling you or me blessed.

 

[anna ~ grace]

According to Scripture, both.

 

[DamianWarS]

Mary heard the word from the archangel Gabriel and she consented to it. She is blessed. Not merely for being the biological mother of Jesus but for hearing the word of God and obeying it.

I am not denying this, my point is Christ says "blessed rather..."

 

[DamianWarS]

According to Scripture, both.

Christ says "blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." this is, of course, inclusive of Mary but it is a shift of focus.

 

[DamianWarS]

She was blessed, but then again, not all generations will be calling you or me blessed.

yet Christ still felt it important to shift the focus in community with Mary as blessed.

 

[anna ~ grace]

Christ says "blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." this is, of course, inclusive of Mary but it is a shift of focus.

Yes, Damian, but *why* is she blessed?

 

[chevyontheriver]

I am not denying this, my point is Christs says "blessed rather..."

But exactly. Mary is blessed for already having done what Jesus recommends to the people listening to her.

 

[Albion]

All of them are blessed. It's the thinking behind the woman's comment, not the issue itself, that Jesus was answering.

He uses this sort of turn of phrase all the time, it seems, but people reading it today go right to the conclusion that everything he states has to be purely black and white, either-or, literal.

 

[1213]

..."blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

Mary was one of those who heard the word and obeyed. That is the reason Mary was blessed, not because he delivered a baby. I think Jesus was correcting that the woman thought that it is the pregnancy thing that got Mary blessed.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

I am not denying this, my point is Christs says "blessed rather..."

Yes, good.
Others have in the past noted that it was 'almost' as if Jesus disregarded His Own mother, but that is a mute point - He was "rather" warning/ showing/ exemplifying NOT to consider things as if in the flesh, from men's point of view, which is wrong viewpoint,
"rather" from the Heavenly Creator's point of view, which is truth.

 

[anna ~ grace]

Mary was one of those who heard the word and obeyed. That is the reason Mary was blessed, not because he delivered a baby. I think Jesus was correcting that the woman thought that it is the pregnancy thing that got Mary blessed.

That's a really good explanation. Fits with Gabriel's words at the Annunciation, Mary's response, and Elizabeth's words, too.

 

[DamianWarS]

Yes, Damian, but *why* is she blessed?

the easiest answer is because scripture calls her blessed but the reasons why she is blessed are not the point. The focused is on Christ's reply saying "blessed rather..."

 

[DamianWarS]

Mary was one of those who heard the word and obeyed. That is the reason Mary was blessed, not because he delivered a baby. I think Jesus was correcting that the woman thought that it is the pregnancy thing that got Mary blessed.

that's an interesting point for Mary but "blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." it's about a shift of focus not about a rejection.

 

[DamianWarS]

All of them are blessed. It's the thinking behind the woman's comment, not the issue itself, that Jesus was answering.

He uses this sort of turn of phrase all the time, it seems, but people reading it today go right to the conclusion that everything he states has to be purely black and white, either-or, literal.

and this thinking continues today where a blessing upon Mary is a focus. This blessing is not incorrect but Christ uses these moments to build us not glorify us so that turn of phrase shifts the focus to "blessed rather..."