John Calvin Commentary Luke 11:27

"And it came to pass, as he said these things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the breasts which thou didst suck." — Luke 11:27 (ASV)

Blessed is the womb. By this praise the woman intended to magnify the excellence of Christ; for she had no reference to Mary,¹⁵⁴ whom, perhaps, she had never seen. And yet it greatly tends to illustrate the glory of Christ, that she pronounces the womb that bore him to be noble and blessed. Nor was the blessing inappropriate, but in strict accordance with the manner of Scripture; for we know that offspring, and particularly when endowed with distinguished virtues, is declared to be a remarkable gift of God, preferable to all others. It cannot even be denied that God conferred the highest honor on Mary, by choosing and appointing her to be the mother of His Son. And yet Christ’s reply is so far from agreeing with this woman's exclamation, that it contains an indirect reproof.

Nay, rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God. We see that Christ treats almost as a matter of indifference that point on which the woman had set a high value. And undoubtedly what she supposed to be Mary’s highest honor was far inferior to the other favors which she had received; for it was of vastly greater importance to be regenerated by the Spirit of God than to conceive Christ, according to the flesh, in her womb; to have Christ living spiritually within her than to suckle him with her breasts. In a word, the highest happiness and glory of the holy Virgin consisted in her being a member of His Son, so that the heavenly Father counted her among the new creatures.

In my opinion, however, it was for another reason, and for another purpose, that Christ now corrected the saying of the woman. It was because people are commonly guilty of neglecting even those gifts of God, on which they gaze with astonishment, and bestow the highest praise. This woman, in applauding Christ, had left out what was of the very highest consequence: that in Him salvation is offered to all. Therefore, it was a feeble commendation that made no mention of His grace and power, which is extended to all. Christ justly claims for Himself another kind of praise: not that His mother alone is considered blessed, but that He brings to us all perfect and eternal happiness.

We never form a just estimate of the excellence of Christ until we consider for what purpose He was given to us by the Father, and perceive the benefits which He has brought to us, so that we who are wretched in ourselves may become happy in Him. But why does He say nothing about Himself, and mention only the word of God? It is because in this way He opens to us all His treasures; for without the word He has no dealings with us, nor we with Him. Communicating Himself to us by the word, He rightly and properly calls us to hear and keep it, that by faith He may become ours.

We now see the difference between Christ’s reply and the woman’s commendation. The blessedness, which she had limited to His own relatives, is a favor which He offers freely to all. He shows that we ought to entertain no ordinary esteem for Him, because He has all the treasures of life, blessedness, and glory, hidden in Him, (Colossians 2:3), which He dispenses by the word, that they may be communicated to those who embrace the word by faith. For God’s free adoption of us, which we obtain by faith, is the key to the kingdom of heaven.

The connection between two things must also be observed: we must first hear, and then keep; for as faith cometh by hearing, (Romans 10:17), it is in this way that the spiritual life must be begun. Now, as simple hearing is like a transitory looking into a mirror,¹⁵⁵ as James says (James 1:23), He likewise adds the keeping of the word, which means the effectual reception of it, when it strikes its roots deep into our hearts and yields its fruit.

The forgetful hearer, whose ears alone are struck by the outward doctrine, gains no advantage. On the other hand, those who boast that they are satisfied with secret inspiration, and on this ground disregard outward preaching, shut themselves out from the heavenly life. What the Son of God hath joined let not men, with wicked rashness, put asunder, (Matthew 19:6).

The Papists reveal amazing stupidity by singing, in honor of Mary, those very words by which their superstition is expressly condemned. In giving thanks, they detach the woman’s saying and leave out the correction.¹⁵⁶ But it was fitting that such a universal stupefaction should come upon those who intentionally profane, at their pleasure, the sacred word of God.

¹⁵⁴ “Il ne faut pas penser qu’elle eust regard a Marie;” — “we must not suppose that she had reference to Mary.”;” — “we must not suppose that she had reference to Mary.”

¹⁵⁵ “Autant que l’ouye simple est comme quand on regarde en un mirroir, et que la memoire s’en escoule incontinent;” — “since the simple hearing is as when we look into a mirror, and the remembrance of it immediately passes away.”;” — “since the simple hearing is as when we look into a mirror, and the remembrance of it immediately passes away.”

¹⁵⁶ “Et en leurs graces apres le repas, ils prenent le dire de la femme, laissans la correction qui estoit le principal;” — “and in their thanksgivings after a meal, they employ the woman’s saying leaving out the correction, which was the most important matter,”;” — “and in their thanksgivings after a meal, they employ the woman’s saying leaving out the correction, which was the most important matter,”