Luke - Your Kingdom ComeIsampula

Being Really Blessed

How would you describe a blessed person? I am sure that many ideas, thoughts, and people come to your mind. We would all have different examples of what we might consider as a blessing in our lives according to our age, social and cultural background, spiritual beliefs, and priorities in life.

How do you think that Jesus would answer this question? What would his answer be? This is something that we should all be asking ourselves. The answer to this question is a key that opens many doors. It will open our eyes to a fundamental truth regarding the kingdom of God.

One day, a woman was listening to Jesus’s preaching, and while she listened, she started thinking about how blessed Jesus’s mother was. I am sure that she must have pictured herself in that position, being the mother of someone as incredible as Jesus. She must have thought, “Oh! How blessed must his mother be! I wish I were Jesus’s mom!” She could not contain herself, and in front of everybody she spoke up and said, “The woman who gave birth to you and nursed you is blessed!” (Luke 11:27 CEV).

I wonder what the crowd must have thought… Who knows? Many must have agreed, others might have started wondering about what would make them really happy, others must have been bothered by her interruption. 

To everybody’s surprise, Jesus replied, “That’s true…” Wow! Can you imagine how this woman must have felt? A rabbi said that I am right in front of this crowd. “… but …” he continued. Oh my goodness, there is a “but”—(she must have thought). We all know that when you hear a “but,” the answer changes completely. Jesus proceeded, “… but the people who are really blessed are the ones who hear and obey God’s message!” (11:28).

Reflect

What will make you the happiest person in the world? Possessions? Fame? Intelligence? Your parents’s approval? A degree? A house? These are all good things, but what will truly make you happy and blessed is hearing and obeying God’s message—“God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die” (John 3:16).

Pray

Thank you, Father, for loving me so much. Thank you, Jesus, for giving your life for me. Thank you for giving me eternal life! I am blessed!

Respond 

In what ways can I share the good news about God’s message and spread happiness and blessings at work, school, and around my friends and family?