27 It came to pass, as Jesus said these things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts which nursed you!”

28 But he said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it.”

Luke 11:15-26 - World English Bible

In this short exchange, a woman called out to honor the mother of Jesus, through Jesus. The woman in the crowd saw Jesus as an honorable man, indeed, God’s man. To bear and suckle such a man would have been an honor for a Jewish woman, for the honor of poor Jewish women depended upon the honor of the patriarch or popular male in the household. In other words, the honor of the man reflected on the mother, wife, or daughter in the clan.

Jesus did not dispute the sentiments of the woman’s comment, but he pointed to a greater honor: serving God. Such service entailed listening to the Good News and taking it to heart. Since Jesus came to proclaim the Gospel, honor required hearing his words and obeying their implications. So the woman who bore Jesus (i.e., Mary) was honorable, the greater honor was that of discipleship. In his gospel, Luke portrayed Mary with both honors. She was the mother of an honorable man, and she was a follower of her Son.

How do you honor and emulate Mary in your life?