Catholics: What do you think of what Jesus said in this verse?

Question

Luke 11:27-28, "As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, 'Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.' He replied, 'Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.'"

If Jesus said this, then why is Mary seen as more "blessed" than others?

Answer 1

The account here was a woman, while listening to Jesus' teachings, is moved to exclaim loudly: “Happy is the womb that carried you and the b*****s that you sucked!” Since the desire of every Jewish woman is to be the mother of a prophet and particularly the Messiah, it is understandable that this woman would say this. Apparently she thought Mary could especially be happy because of being Jesus’ mother.

However, Jesus quickly corrects the woman regarding the true source of happiness. “No,” he responds, “rather, Happy are those hearing the word of God and keeping it!” Never did Jesus imply that his mother, Mary, should be given special honor. Instead, he showed that true happiness is found in being a faithful servant of God, NOT IN ANY PHYSICAL TIES or accomplishments.

Such references show that Jesus took care not to give devotion or undue honor to Mary or to address her by any special title. He did not allow their relationship to influence him. And the apostles and disciples followed his example, for nowhere in their inspired writings is Mary given any undue honor, title, or influence. While they respected her as the mother of Jesus, they did not go beyond that. Certainly they never referred to her as the “mother of God.”

Edit -

Obviously I am not a catholic..

Answer 2

Answers like that can be found in a book titled Babylon:Mystery Religion. It blew my mind when I first read it.

Answer 3

Don't forget this one:

Matt 12:46-50

While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you."

He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

Answer 4

Well, she still gave birth to the Messiah didn't she? And she somehow managed that whole virgin birth didn't she? That's pretty cool, right?

Blessed: I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but through me. Isn't that kind of redundant? Aren't Jesus and God supposed to be the same guy?

Answer 5

That's why people are not supposed to privately interpret the bible. The message is screaming right in front of you. Jesus didn't mean rather as, no. He meant Yes, because she heard the word of God and obeyed it. Because at two other parts in the Bible St. Elizabeth said Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And in Mary's fiat she said "all generations shall call me blessed."  

Answer 6

Jesus was busy at the time. He was preaching to the masses. He had only three years to get his work done, and time was critical.

He wasn't slighting his mother. He was reminding everyone what was most important.

There was no lack of praise for mothers ... then ... or now.

As for Mary ... she was the first person in history to be created "full of grace" since Eve. She was also sanctified by her close association with Jesus Christ ... who is her her son, and her savior.

Go here for the complete story:

http://douglawrence.wordpress.com/a-shor...

Answer 7

While I'm sure Jesus loved his mom, it wasn't Him who consecrated her.  Therefore it is unfair to put the onus of your question on Jesus when He didn't ask it.  Your question should be, in all fairness, "Why is Mary seen as more 'blessed' than others?"

Answer 8

Great verse, great question.

Another fine verse:

Mark 6:3 - Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

I've already read the Catholic take on it, but it is clear to me that the verses are being stretched far beyond what is clearly stated, to try and fit unbiblical doctrines.

These words are not mine, but I hope you'll find them helpful! :)

All religions have one thing in common: they encourage their members to work as hard as they can to gain everlasting life, the celestial kingdom, nirvana, or whatever else they want to call it.

Biblical Christianity, however, is different. Instead of earning our goal as a reward, it is offered to us freely as a gift through Jesus Christ as the perfect sacrifice, whose offering of Himself was complete to earn our way to everlasting life with God the Father.

As Jesus Christ was dying, he said “It is finished” because from that point on, all anyone had to do was to trust His sacrifice to cover their sins. Everyone needs this sacrifice because the Bible tells us in Romans 3:23 that we are all sinners.

We are in such bad condition that when we try to earn favor with God through our good works, Isaiah 64:6 tells us that our righteous deeds are like filthy rags to God. In Mark 10:27 Jesus is answering His disciples’ question, “who then can be saved?” He said, “with man, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.”

God realizes that man cannot possibly save himself through door-to-door preaching or ordinances of a church. That’s why God did not send an organization or a church to offer us peace with God, but He sent His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus says in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but through me.”

Answer 9

Well, that's how some view her. It's not how Jesus sees it. He sees us blessed - of those who hear the Word of God and obey it.  

Answer 10

You have to read the Bible IN CONTEXT. Luke Chapter 11 has NOTHING to do with Mary. It has to do with Christ teaching His disciples to pray, casting out demons, refutes the Pharisees and pronounces woes against them for their hypocrisy.

The Pharisees and the woes pronounced against them are what Like 11:27-28, among other verses in Luke 11, are referencing.

Answer 11

Jesus is STILL talking about Mary here. He's emphasizing that Mary is venerated not for simply giving birth to him, but for heeding to God's call. Don't forget that in this same Gospel of St. Luke, Elizabeth refers to Mary as "blessed", so obviously Jesus isn't negating the fact that Mary is blessed, rather shedding light on exactly WHY Mary is blessed (as are any of the saints). This point is evident in the first beatitude

(Luke 1:45) "And blessed is she who believed that there would be * a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."

You make a great point though, because there are certainly *abuses* in how certain people venerate saints, they begin to venerate the human person and lose sight of why such a person is venerated in the first place, namely their devotion to God. It's that devotion that should be venerated, which is why his holiness Pope Benedict XVI recently stated that "perfect veneration is IMITATION". We should live like the saints and not just pay lip service to their memories.

Here's an excerpt of what St. Thomas Aquinas had to say about this verse:

"Ver 27. And it came to pass, as he spoke these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said to him, Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the paps which you have sucked.28. But he said, Yes rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

While the Scribes and Pharisees were tempting our Lord, and uttering blasphemies against Him, a certain woman with great boldness confessed His incarnation, as it follows, And it came to pass, as he spoke these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said to him, Blessed is the womb that bore you, &c. by which she refutes both the calumnies of the rulers present, and the unbelief of future heretics. For as then by blaspheming the works of the Holy Spirit, the Jews denied the true Son of God, so in after times the heretics, by denying that the Ever virgin Mary, by the cooperating power of the Holy Spirit, ministered of the substance of her flesh to the birth of the only-begotten Son, have said, that we ought not to confess Him who was the Son of man to be truly of the same substance with the Father. But if the flesh of the Word of God, who was born according to the flesh, is declared alien to the flesh of His Virgin Mother, what cause is there why the womb which bore Him and the paps which gave Him suck are pronounced blessed? By what reasoning do they suppose Him to be nourished by her milk, from whose seed they deny Him to be conceived? Whereas according to the physicians, from one and the same fountain both streams are proved to flow. But the woman pronounces blessed not only her who was thought worthy to give birth from her body to the Word of God, but those also who have desired by the hearing of faith spiritually to conceive the same Word, and by diligence in good works, either in their own or the hearts of their neighbors, to bring it forth and nourish it; for it follows, But he said, Yes rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

In this answer He sought not to disown His mother, but to show that His birth would have profited her nothing, had she not been really fruitful in works and faith. But if it Met profited Mary nothing that Christ derived His birth from her, without the inward virtue of her heart, much less will it avail us to have a virtuous father, brother, or son, while we ourselves are strangers to virtue.

But she was the mother of God, and therefore indeed blessed, in that she was made the temporal minister of the Word becoming incarnate; yet therefore much more blessed that she remained the eternal keeper of the same ever to be beloved Word. But this expression startles the wise men of the Jews, who sought not to hear and keep the word of God, but to deny and blaspheme it."