Word to the Wise
Saturday, October 12, 2019 - Saturday in the 27th Week in Ordinary Time
[Joel 4:12-21 and Luke 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." [Luke]
Jesus seems to deflect any mention of his family to a different emphasis. The compliment of the woman in the crowd may have been meant to express something good both about him and his mother, but Jesus points to something else, which the evangelist has previously put into words from Elizabeth at the beginning of the gospel: "Blessed is she who believed that the word of God to her would be fulfilled." {Luke 1:42] After the shepherds visit the manger scene, we are told: "And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.: There is also the description of Mary after the story of the "presentation in the temple": "And his mother kept all these things in her heart." It is Mary's discipleship rather than her maternity that receives the emphasis. Of course, later Christian reflection would bring forward that maternal aspect, and we celebrate it on New Year's Day!
We should note that it is not just hearing the word of God but "observing" it that completes the description of a disciple. "Observe" here doesn't mean standing back and looking at something. It means living it in daily life by our actions and attitudes. The Gospel According to Luke provides us with plenty of examples in Jesus' vivid parables - e.g. The Prodigal Son, the Good Samaritan, the Rich Man and Lazarus, to name a few. We can recall Jesus' words in the synagogue at the beginning of his ministry: "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." That is the meaning of discipleship. AMEN