Mary

Veneration of Mary

As he said these things, a woman in the crowd spoke out to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts at which you nursed!" But he replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it! - Luke 11:27,28 (NET)

These verses are often referred to in Protestant apologetics to support an anti-Marian stance. The word "rather" in the above passage is a poor translation, however. The original Greek would say "of course" or "yes, indeed" or even "not only that, but also". So Jesus here is not rebuking the woman who shouts this, but supporting her assertion and adding to it. It should read "Yes indeed, and blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it." Wcrowe 04:18, 2 July 2009 (UTC)