Instead of attacking Jesus' works His critics should have received and obeyed His words. A woman's comment, called out from the crowd, triggered this response from Jesus that forms a fitting conclusion to the previous incident.
The woman expressed how wonderful it must have been for Mary to have had such a son as Jesus. This was an indirect way of complementing Jesus. His response did not reflect unfavorably on Mary. Her privilege as the mother of the Messiah was great indeed (cf. 1:45). However those who heard God's word of salvation through Jesus and His disciples, believed it, and acted upon it had an even greater position. The implication that His hearers should do so was obvious. In the immediate context, the word of God was the teaching that Jesus had been giving.
