The Key to Being Blessed

Daily Devotional: Day 134

“And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You.” But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:27-28, NKJV).

What makes a person blessed? Today, Jesus gives us the answer. He says, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.” This clarification became necessary after what the woman in the crowd said. One day, Jesus was teaching – as was His custom. In the middle of His teaching, a woman in the crowd shouted, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You.” Obviously, she was referring to Mary, the mother of Jesus. This woman probably got excited by the graceful words of Jesus. The first thought on her mind was to call Jesus’s mother blessed. From the context, we know that she meant no harm. Still, she was mistaken about her understanding of what it means to be blessed. And Jesus wasted no time in correcting the flaws in the woman’s statement.

Apart from the fact that this woman had a wrong impression about what makes a person blessed, her statement presented two other problems which Jesus needed to address. First, the very fact that she shouted a statement – regardless of her intentions – while Jesus was teaching, was a distraction which Jesus couldn’t afford.  Notice that her statement shifted attention from Jesus and the crowd to Jesus’ mother. Second, the woman’s statement attributed a blessing to Jesus’ mother, but excluded everyone else. Jesus’ response was brief, yet timely and precise. It corrected all the problems inherent in the woman’s statement. Not only that, Jesus’s response gave us the correct understanding of what it means to be blessed.

According to Jesus, those who hear the word of God and keep it are the ones who are blessed. Being blessed is therefore based, not on genetics, ancestry, race, nationality, ethnicity, how long you’ve been a member of your church, your position in church, or one’s social status. One criterion is established for all people: obedience to God’s word. From today, know that you are blessed if you keep God’s word. Let no one exclude you from God’s blessing because of human doctrines, traditions and faulty theology. Walk blessed. Live Blessed. And stay blessed. Amen.

May our Father in heaven let His face shine on you today!

For further study: Matthew 5:1-12