THE WORD
Jl 4: 12–21 / Lk 11: 27–28
While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”
IN OTHER WORDS
A handsome and intelligent boy, who received many awards in his school, overheard the conversation of his mother and her friend: “Mare, how blest (fortunate) you are to have such a very intelligent and talented son as Johnny!” The mother, obviously so proud of her son, exhibited a big smile and said, “Thank you very much, Mare!” Then the boy respectfully approached the two, kissed his mom’s cheek saying, “Thanks, mom!” and disappeared.
Had the Blessed Virgin Mary been there in the crowd and heard that woman shouting to Jesus, “Blest is the womb that carried you and the breast that nursed you”, how would she have reacted? I am very sure that Mary must have been proud of her son, Jesus. But with the response of Jesus: “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it,” what would have been her feelings?
Firstly, however, did Jesus by this remark intend to put down his mother? Certainly, it is difficult to imagine Jesus putting his mother to shame. He was not an insensitive, disrespectful son. How then are we going to understand this short verse? Reading the text alone could really lead one to think of an ungrateful and disrespectful Jesus. So, here we need the help of biblical scholars. Raymond Brown, a famous biblical scholar, et al., in their bookMary in the New Testament, explained that the word menoun (translated in the text as “rather”) can also mean “yes, but even more.” So, the text can also be understood in this way: “Yes, but even more blessed are they who hear the word of God and observe it.” In this sense, Mary was doubly blessed: for being the mother of Jesus and, even more than that, for having heard the word of God and kept it. (Today’s Living Word).
Like us who feel happy and proud of our earthly mother, Jesus must have been very proud of his mother too. But Jesus was evenmore proud of her because she, Mary, does “hear the word of God and observe it”, making her the icon of a disciple. May we,then, love Mary as the Mother of our Lord and our mother also, and learn from her to listen to God, pondering His words, keeping them in our hearts and faithfully observing them like she did, until the end of our earthly pilgrimage.
Mary, Mother of God and Model Disciple of Christ, pray for us!
- Ernesto Salvar, SVD (DWFC, Davao City)
The Word in other words 2015
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
