Neli ML

Sixth Sunday after Pentecost 2024 Mark 5, 21- 43 Rev. Neli Miranda Jesus’ ministry was not controlled by the social and religious conventions of his time, which protected and favored the rich and powerful. Rather, it was driven by God’s deep love that helps all humans in need regardless of their social status, gender, or age. Jesus even crossed geographic borders to proclaim the Kingdom of God outside of Israel, to gentile regions, considered outside God’s grace. Last week, Mark told us about Jesus’ first mission trip outside the borders of Israel and how this journey implied risks and threats. Upon arriving on the other side, in gentile territory, Jesus liberated a man with an unclean spirit, whose name was Legion. This man represented the entire community oppressed and tormented by the Roman occupation, a legion consisting of 6000 Roman soldiers. Today’s Gospel narrates Jesus’ healing of a woman and a girl, both of whom belong to the most marginalized social group in history,

  Fifth Sunday after Pentecost 2024 Mark 4,35-41 Rev. Neli Miranda   Mark presents us today with a perfect image of chaos - a storm at sea. In a storm in the middle of the sea, and I hope none of us have to be in one, there is no stability, everything moves, there is nothing secure to hold onto, nothing is under control! No wonder ancient peoples like the Jews feared the sea. Thus, in Jesus’ time, the Israelites recognized the sea as a symbol of threat and biblical writers used the image of the sea to describe danger and threat. However, they also knew that God ruled over the sea to the point of ordering it to divide so that the people of Israel could walk safely out of Egypt. The Lord is the one who “stilled the storm to a whisper and quieted the waves of the sea ”, we also read in today’s psalm (107,29). Today, Mark tells us of Jesus’ disciples facing a storm at sea. In the preceding verses, Jesus has been on the shores of the Sea of Galilee teaching about the Kingdom of Go

  Fourth Sunday after Pentecost 2024 Mark 4,26-34 Rev. Neli Miranda   Jesus began his ministry in Galilee by proclaiming the good news of God, " The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news" (1,15). Jesus did not explain what the Kingdom of God was, but surely his audience knew what he was announcing. For many centuries the people of Israel had suffered domination and oppression at the hands of their own kings and foreign kingdoms. So, the people’s longing for the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth arose amid suffering, under perverse human kingdoms. One can only imagine the people’s joyous rejoicing when Jesus made his announcement of the good news. . . the Kingdom of God was among them!! Today’s gospel presents us with two parables that speak of the Kingdom of God. Parables, a traditional method of teaching in Jesus’ time, are not explanations but a way to provoke the listeners’ thinking, so that they

Sabbath day - Mark 2:23-3:6 Proper 4 June 3, 2024   God commanded the people of Israel to observe the seventh day called Sabbath and keep it holy. It was and it is a very fundamental practice for the Jewish people and distinguishes them from other nations. The first lesson we read from Deuteronomy speaks about this commandment:   “Six days you shall labor and do all your work.    But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the  Lord  your God; you shall not do any work—you, or your son or your daughter, or your male or female slave, or your ox or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the resident alien in your towns… “(Deuteronomy 5,12-15).   The heart of this commandment is justice and involves the celebration of peace, freedom, and rest for humans, animals, and nature. Resting is a human right given by God and this commandment reminded the people of Israel that they had been slaves living under the domination of the Egyptian empire where they had no rest, but the mighty