<p>11:28 <i>But he said: Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it</i>- The Lord shifts all focus away from considering Mary to be blessed just because she happened to be the physical channel used for His conception. Rather her blessedness was to be understood in terms of how she heard God's word and kept it, meditating upon it in her heart (2:19,51). Likewise we can take the warning that even if the Father clearly uses us as a channel, this doesn't of itself mean we are acceptable with Him. It is personal spirituality, of the kind Mary had, which is all significant.</p><p>Paul Wyns has spotted the following connections:&nbsp;</p><div align=center><table border=0 cellspacing=10 cellpadding=0 width=80%>    <tbody>        <tr>            <td width=534 valign=top>            <div align=center><b><i>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</i></b><b> REVELATION 1</b></p>            </td>            <td width=531 valign=top>            <div align=center><b>LUKE   11</b></p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=534 valign=top>            <p>Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear   the words of this prophecy, and keep those things that are written therein.   (v.3)</p>            </td>            <td width=531 valign=top>            <p>Blessed are they that hear the word of God and   keep it. (v.28)</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=534 valign=top>            <p>Seven spirits (angels) before the throne. (v.4)</p>            </td>            <td width=531 valign=top>            <p>Contrast &ndash; seven unclean spirits invited into the   house. (v.24-26)</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=534 valign=top>            <p>The resurrected Christ &ndash; I was dead, and behold I   am alive for evermore. (v.12-19)</p>            </td>            <td width=531 valign=top>            <p>The sign of Jonah the prophet. (v.29-32)</p>            </td>        </tr>        <tr>            <td width=534 valign=top>            <p>The seven golden candlesticks. (v.12,13,20)</p>            </td>            <td width=531 valign=top>            <p>The parable of the lighted candlestick. (v.33-36)</p>            </td>        </tr>    </tbody></table></div><p>The lesson for us is that the Lord even in His Heavenly glory alluded to His dear mother&rsquo;s attitude, and held her up as the pattern for all His people. She had an eternal influence upon Him. Even in His Heavenly glory, the incidents of that day in Lk. 11, and the example of His mother, remained with Him. This is surely a tremendous incentive to parents- their influence on their children may be a factor in how their children will eternally be. The Lord was alluding to how His mother had &ldquo;kept&rdquo; God&rsquo;s word in her heart in devout meditation (Lk. 2:51). He didn&rsquo;t say &lsquo;Blessed is <i>she</i> because <i>she</i> heard the word and kept it&rsquo;. Rather, &ldquo;blessed are <i>they</i>&rdquo;. He was surely saying: &lsquo;Don&rsquo;t just dumbly admire my mother, with some kind of distant, spectator admiration; she is the pattern for <i>all</i> of you. Follow her, make her the pattern of <i>your</i> life with respect to God&rsquo;s word, rather than just gasp at her example&rsquo;.</p>