Gospel in Art: Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it

The Connection, by Martin Whatson, 2018. Silkscreen print © Martin Watson, all rights reserved

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 11 October 2025
Luke 11:27-28

At that time: As Jesus was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, 'Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!' But he said, 'Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!'

Reflection on the Street Artwork

This short Gospel passage begins with a woman praising the mother of Jesus for giving the world such a son. Yet Jesus takes her words further: it is not enough to admire or applaud. True discipleship means listening to God's word and then living it out. It is not about admiration, but imitation!

As Christians, all of us are called to do what Jesus did, not simply clapping from the sidelines. We live in a culture where it is easy to stay on the surface. A quick click of 'Like', a tap on 'Follow', and we feel we have responded and engaged. But Jesus warns us against settling for this kind of passive engagement. Faith is not about casual, quick approval... it is about truly engaging and building up a whole lifestyle.

The Norwegian street artist Martin Whatson captures the fleetingness of us liking and approving things and our minds thinking that we have truly engaged with the content we looked at. We see a greyscale silhouette of a young man (the artist himself) staring down at his phone. Into his hoodie flows a flurry of graffiti, logos, and social media icons, as if his very identity is being swallowed by noise. The contrast between the dull grey and explosive colours is striking. We think looking at social media may colour our lives, but if we are too dependent on it, we are at risk to become grey, numb.

Jesus' words in today's reading cuts through all this, asking us: how much of my time is spent on what is fleeting, and how much is given to what truly matters?

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-11-27-28-2025/