Luke 11:28
He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it
Jesus was no ordinary teacher. He spoke with authority, and his teachings stirred hearts and awakened spirits. He told stories – parables that used the familiar to reveal the divine. Through these stories, people began to grasp the vastness of God’s love and the cost of his call.
In one powerful moment, Jesus was teaching about spiritual authority, explaining that he could not be casting out demons by Satan’s power, because a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand.
His words were piercing, and the crowd was gripped. Suddenly, a woman raised her voice above the murmurs and cried out, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” (Luke 11:27). It was a moment of heartfelt admiration, this woman was praising the mother of such a remarkable man.
But Jesus turned the moment in an unexpected direction. He replied, “He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it” (Luke 11:28)
What Jesus was doing here wasn’t dismissing Mary, far from it. He was challenging a deeper assumption: that closeness to him in a physical, familial, or emotional sense was what made someone blessed.
He was saying that true blessing isn’t about proximity, privilege, or personal connection. It’s not about who you know or how near you stand to something holy.
It’s about obedience.
Being near to Jesus, hearing him teach, being part of the crowd, even being his own mother, wasn’t the highest honour. The real honour is reserved for those who hear God’s word and do something with it.
That kind of relationship with God is open to anyone. Not just those who were physically near Jesus during his time on earth.
This is incredibly freeing. It means you don’t have to be a spiritual ‘insider’ to be close to God. You don’t need a platform or a title. You don’t even need to have had a perfect spiritual past. What matters is obedience, hearing his word and letting it shape your life.
This challenges us to look honestly at our own relationship with God. Are we satisfied with being around spiritual things – church, Bible studies, worship music – without actually surrendering to God’s voice in our daily decisions? Do we equate inspiration with transformation?
It’s one thing to feel moved by what we hear; it’s another to let it change us. True faith isn’t proven in the moment we hear God’s word, it’s revealed in what we do next. Do we forgive when it’s hard? Do we love when it’s inconvenient? Do we trust when it would be easier to take control? The blessing Jesus spoke of comes not from being near the truth, but from living it.
To be truly blessed is not simply to be present, it’s to be responsive. Not just hearing the word, but allowing it to change how we think, speak, forgive, and love.
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Self-Reflection Questions
- Am I content with simply hearing God’s word, or am I actively living it out?
- Are there areas in my life where I’ve been close to spiritual things but resistant to obedience?
- What specific command or teaching from God have I been putting off obeying?
- How can I begin today to practise obedience in the small, unseen areas of my life?
- Do I see obedience as a burden or as the pathway to blessing? Why?
Declaration
“I am not just a hearer of God’s word, I am a doer. I choose obedience over comfort, action over admiration. I will walk in the truth I’ve received, and by God’s grace, my life will reflect His word. This is where true blessing is found.”
Prayer
Almighty God,
Thank you for the gift of your living word. You have spoken truth, not just for me to hear, but to follow. Help me, Lord, not to be content with simply listening or being near the things of faith, but to let your word take root in my heart and shape the way I live. Teach me to walk in obedience, even when it’s hard, even when no one sees so that my life may bring honour to your name.
Give me the strength to respond to your voice with faith and action, and to find true blessing not in position or feeling, but in faithful obedience.
Thank you for your patience, your grace, and the transforming power of your word.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
