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Luke 11:27, 28 - The Most Blessed Way of Life.

Luke 11:27, 28 (NLT) As he was speaking, a 
woman in the crowd called out, "God bless your 
mother--the womb from which you came, and the breasts 
that nursed you!" 28 He replied, "But even more 
blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it 
into practice." 

INTRODUCTION

Jesus was speaking to people who put 
extremely high value on family ties. Their genealogies 
were important guarantees that they were part of 
God's chosen people. A man's value came from his 
ancestors, and a woman's value came from the sons she 
bore. Jesus' response to the woman meant that a 
person's obedience to God is more important than his 
or her place on the family tree. The patient 
work of consistent obedience is even more 
important than the honor of bearing a respected son. 
[Life Application SB] 

Hearing and obeying the Word of God is more 
blessed than birthing and nursing the Messiah. 
[Disciple SB] 

COMMENTARY PEARL

   Sometimes Jesus speaks through curious 
circumstances or people. I shouldnt be surprised. 
Throughout the Bible, animals or objects became 
instruments for communicating important truths. A 
talking donkey, for instance (Numbers 22: 28).  
   While watching a musical competition on 
television, I felt Jesus tugging on my heart. And 
from what some might consider an unlikely source 
- Snoop Dogg. The iconic hip-hop rapper, 
actor, media personality, and businessman served as 
a guest coach, helping the singing contestants 
grow stronger and more polished for their next 
performance. In his inimitable way, Snoop made this 
simple but profound comment: I love giving 
information to those who sponge it up.  
   Doesnt that sound like something Jesus 
would say?  
   Jesus spent much of His ministry trying 
to turn humans into sponges who would listen to 
truth and soak it up, then be willing to be 
squeezed out so the teachings would land on others. 
Many followed Jesus, including the disciples, 
hanging on to His every word, but not letting it 
soak in and reach the depth of their souls. For 
many of His closest followers, they didnt 
become true sponges until after His death and 
resurrection. Their greatest transformations happened 
after Christ rose from the dead. Another layer of 
sponge-ness developed in them with the coming of the 
Holy Spirit after Jesus had returned to heaven.  
   Thanks to Snoop Dogg, I have a new way of 
expressing my listening to Jesus - sponge it up. 
Cynthia Ruchti  
   Faith Step: As you read Gods Word 
today, think of yourself as a sponge. Let it soak 
in far deeper than your brain. And get ready to 
squeeze it out to others. [Mornings With Jesus 2023 
Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan] 

COMMENTARY

   The nature of the Christian life is 
Christ's life taking hold upon all the inner life of 
a man, changing, dominating, pulsating. It is 
seen therefore, and I do not think we can be too 
careful in emphasizing this, that Christian life is 
neither human imitation of Christ, nor correct 
intellectual positions concerning Christ. Neither is it a 
cult, or a system of thought. I may attempt to 
imitate Christ sincerely through long years, and yet 
never be a Christian. I may hold absolutely 
correct intellectual views concerning Christ as a 
person, and His power, and yet never be a Christian. 
It is possible for me to admire Him, and 
attempt with all the power of my life to imitate 
Him, and yet never realize Him. It is quite 
possible for a person to believe most sincerely in 
His Deity, and in the fact of His atoning work, 
and moreover, in the necessity for regeneration, 
and yet never be submitted to His Lordship, 
never to have personal share in the work of His 
atonement, never to be born again. 
   Nothing short of the coming into life of 
the individual of Christ Himself constitutes a 
Christian. If Jesus Christ is external to your life 
there will be times when the world will not see 
Him and hear Him, and will not know you belong 
to Him. But if Christ be in you, living, 
reigning there absolutely, and you are obeying Him, 
there never will be a moment when the truth will 
not be evident. You cannot hide Christ if once 
He comes within. If the light is there, it 
simply must shine. G. Campbell Morgan [Time With 
God SB] 

Some people talk a lot about faith, but 
that's all it is--talk. They may know all the right 
words to say, but their lives don't reflect God's 
power. Paul says that the kingdom of God is to be 
'lived,' not just discussed. There is a big 
difference between knowing the right words and living 
them out. Don't be content to have the right 
answers about Christ. Let your life show that God's 
power is really working in you.  [Life Application 
SB] 

How do we go about filling our lives with 
Jesus? Christ explained. Blessed rather are 
those who hear the Word of God and obey it (v. 
28). This doing is not to be confused with 
the activists self-effort. Instead it is an 
opening up of our lives to God, a dependence on 
Christ for enablement which frees us to respond to 
Gods revealed will. This doing is a response, 
made simply because we want to follow Jesus, and 
depend on Him to enable us as we keep His Word. 
[Victor Teachers Commentary] 

CLOSING THOUGHT

Do It His Way
   Sometimes people think that if they do 
what the Bible says, theyll be miserable. 
Theyll say, The sinners have all the fun. They 
get to do all the cool stuff. They get to do 
whatever they want to. 
   But do the sinners really have more fun? 
There is fun in sin momentarily. Otherwise, we 
would never sin, would we? But the penalties of 
sin are brutal. And sometimes theyre lethal 
as they close in on your life and you face the 
repercussions of it. 
   Jesus said, But even more blessed are 
all who hear the word of God and put it into 
practice (Luke 11:28 NLT). If we obey the Word of 
God, we will find happiness. 
   As the people of Israel heard God speak 
to them through Ezra, they realized they had 
missed something the Scriptures had told them to 
do. So they obeyed the Word of God. The result 
of their obedience was great joy: So 
everyone who had returned from captivity lived in 
these shelters during the festival, and they were 
all filled with great joy! The Israelites had 
not celebrated like this since the days of 
Joshua son of Nun (Nehemiah 8:17 NLT). 
   You can have a happy life without sin. 
You can have a happy life without sex outside of 
marriage, without drugs or alcohol, without 
selfishness. It comes down to you. God wants to do all 
these things for you, but you need to come and 
understand His Word. You need to come and rejoice in 
His Word. And then you need to come and obey His 
Word. It is yours to enjoy, or it is yours to 
reject. 
   God is not out to ruin your life. He is 
out to bless your life and fulfill you. But you 
need to do it His way. [Greg Laurie from Harvest 
Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com] 

LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY 

Luke 11:27, 28 - The Most Blessed Way of 
Life. 

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2008/20080529-0905.html 

James 1:22 - Living the Word.

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230623-0845.html 

James 1:25 - Blessings Come From Doing What 
The Bible Says. 

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200705-1021.html 

John 13:17 - Blessed Are The Acquiescent, 
Compliant and Obedient Ones. 

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200830-1103.html 

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

https://abible.com/links/