27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. 28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. (Luke 11:27-28 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
Observe here, 1. How ready we are to admire persons for their external privileges, and the favors of divine Providence, and pronounce such blessed: Blessed is the womb that bare thee.
Observe, 2. That Christ makes another judgment of persons and pronounces them more blessed that bear him in their hearts by faith, than his own mother, who bare him in her womb by sense. The blessedness of being an obedient believer is far greater than that of being the mother of our blessed Saviour.
Blessed be God, this great and gracious privilege is not denied unto us now. Although we cannot see Christ, yet love him we may; his bodily presence cannot be enjoyed by us, but his spiritual gracious presence is not denied us. Though Christ be not ours in house, in arms, by affinity, by consanguinity; yet in heart, in faith, in love, in service, he is or may be ours; verily spiritual regeneration, and an obediental doing of God’s will, brings men into a more honorable relation to Christ than natural generation ever did: Yet, rather blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
BURKITT | Luke 11:1 | Luke 11:2-4 | Luke 11:5-8 | Luke 11:9-10 | Luke 11:11-13 | Luke 11:14-20 | Luke 11:21-26 | Luke 11:27-28 | Luke 11:29-32 | Luke 11:33-36 | Luke 11:37-40 | Luke 11:41 | Luke 11:42 | Luke 11:43 | Luke 11:44 | Luke 11:45-46 | Luke 11:47-54 |