Neli ML

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost Marcos 9:38-50 Rev. Neli Miranda   Last Sunday, we reflected on Jesus’ teaching about welcoming the little ones, the vulnerable within his community. By embracing a child, a little one, Jesus taught the twelve the essence of humility and compassion and urged them to prioritize caring for the marginalized over seeking power and glory. In today’s reading, we witness the continued lack of understanding of Jesus’ teachings among the twelve. They persist in upholding their positions of power and exclusivity rather than internalizing Jesus’ message. This time, they have attempted to stop someone acting in Jesus’ name, as recounted by John on behalf of the twelve:  “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”  (9:38). In Jesus’ mission, casting out demons means healing the sick, liberating the afflicted, and bringing good news to those in need. The person the d...

  Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost 2024 Mark 9:30-37 Rev. Neli Miranda   Today, we read in Mark’s Gospel that while Jesus and his disciples were journeying together, Jesus takes the opportunity to continue teaching them about the nature of his mission, his impending death and his resurrection. His proclamation has raised opposition among the Jewish authorities and soon they will seek to silence Jesus. So, he is going on a mission with no return but he remains resolute in his mission declaring, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again” (9,31). This is the second time that Jesus speaks of his impending death and resurrection; however, the disciples are still struggling with this announcement. Their expectation of the messianic hero prevents them from understanding Jesus’ mission.   Last Sunday, we heard for the first time Jesus’ announcement about his imminent suffering, death...

Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost 2024 Mark 8:27-38 Rev. Neli Miranda   Today, Jesus and his disciples are journeying to the villages of Caesarea Philippi, a city known for its grandeur and political significance, where Roman authority and pagan worship were very prominent. Caesar Augustus, the Roman Emperor, had granted the location to King Herod who built a marble temple in honor of the emperor. Later, Herod’s heir Philip the tetrarch, named the city Caesarea Philippi as a tribute to Caesar Augustus. During this journey, near a center of human power and arrogance, Jesus engages his disciples in a significant dialogue.   He poses two key questions to lead them in a deep understanding of his mission. Jesus begins the dialogue by asking, “Who do people say that I am?” Some months earlier, Jesus had begun his ministry in Galilee and his reputation has spread widely, garnering recognition from the people. His influence has extended to Judea in such a way that some Ph...

  Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost 2024 Mark 7:24-37 Rev. Neli Miranda   Last Sunday, in Mark’s Gospel we witnessed a tense encounter between Jesus and the Pharisees and Scribes when they engaged in a discussion about the strict purity code that ruled the people of Israel. During this exchange, the Pharisees and Scribes accused Jesus and his disciples of neglecting the traditional practice of washing hands before meals, as prescribed by the “tradition of the elders”. Essentially, they called Jesus and his disciples impure, and in response, Jesus replied, “ There is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile… It is what comes out of a person that defiles” (7,15).   The Jewish purity code also influenced any relationship with Gentiles. Since Gentiles did not adhere to these regulations, they were considered impure, resulting in a clear practice of segregation between Jews and non-Jews.   Throughout the book of Mark, Jesus repeatedly crosses the boun...