More Than Admiration

More than Admiration

Luke 11:27-32

Have you ever longed to see Jesus perform a miracle—to witness the blind receive sight, the mute speak, or demons cast out? Many in Jesus' day saw exactly that… and still walked away unconvinced. Why? Because what God seeks is not spectators—but surrendered hearts.

In Luke 11, we witness a dramatic moment—Jesus casts out a demon from a man who had been mute. Instantly, the man begins to speak. But he’s not the only one—Christ’s critics suddenly find their voices too. Some accuse Him of performing miracles by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons (Luke 11:15). In response, Jesus delivers a striking rebuke:

“Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? … But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

— Luke 11:17–20

Still others demand more signs, refusing to believe despite all they’ve seen. Jesus warns them soberly:

“When an impure spirit comes out of a person… it returns with seven other spirits more wicked than itself… and the final condition of that person is worse than the first.”

— Luke 11:24–26

It’s easy to read these accounts and imagine what it would’ve been like to see Jesus in action—healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, making the lame walk, and even raising the dead. Surely if we saw those things, we’d believe, right?

And yet, even when the One greater than the temple stood before them, many in power felt threatened. The religious leaders rejected Him. The crowds demanded more signs. Even surrounded by truth, their hearts were hardened. Their response wasn’t devotion—it was doubt. Today, we live on this side of the cross. We know the full story—His atoning death and victorious resurrection. Yet even with that clarity, are we not still vulnerable to a half-hearted response? Have we truly grasped the worth of the hidden Treasure and the Pearl of great price (Matthew 13:44–46)? Or are our spiritual eyes clouded by the specks of sin (Luke 6:41) and our lives dressed in the filthy rags of our own righteousness (Isaiah 64:6)? The question before us is not just whether we believe the Gospel—it is whether we are living lives worthy of it. Have we responded to Christ not just with admiration, but with surrender? Not just with respect, but with repentance and devotion?

Admiration without Obedience Falls Short

It’s one thing to admire Jesus—to be amazed by His power, His wisdom, His compassion. But admiration alone falls short. Jesus made this clear in a powerful moment, right after confronting His critics and casting out a demon. Luke records:

“As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, ‘Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.’

He replied, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.’”

— Luke 11:27–28

While Mary, the mother of the Messiah, would indeed be called blessed by all future generations (Luke 1:48), and while Israel was blessed for being chosen to be a light to the nations (Isaiah 49:6), Jesus redefines true blessing—not as something inherited by association or ancestry, but by obedience. To be truly blessed is to hear God’s Word and respond to it with faith and action. Marveling at Christ’s authority—even His dominion over the unseen spiritual realm (Colossians 1:16)—is not the same as entering into a saving relationship with Him. Those who witnessed His miracles had a choice to make: would they receive His works as confirmation of divine authority and submit to Him, or remain skeptical and resistant?

How we respond to God’s Word still matters today. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus warns that the seed—the Word of God—can be received with initial joy, but if it doesn’t take root, the cares and distractions of this world will choke it out (Luke 8:4–15). Paul exclaims, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news” (Romans 10:15), yet the beauty of the message demands a response. The Word is living and active—sharper than any two-edged sword. It penetrates deeply, dividing soul and spirit, and exposing the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12–13). Each of us is faced with a decision: Will we believe in Christ’s atoning sacrifice and yield to His ways—which are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8–9)—or will we dismiss His call in passive complacency or outright rebellion? Jesus warns that casting out evil is not enough. Unless we are filled with His Spirit and aligned with His kingdom—gathering with Him, not against Him—the end will be worse than the beginning (Luke 11:24–26). Mary was truly blessed to bear the Savior, but Jesus reminds us: even more blessed are those who hear and obey the Word of God.