Neli ML

Twenty First Sunday after Pentecost 2024 Mark 10:17-31 Rev. Neli Miranda   We live in an economic system that promotes, praises, and rewards the accumulation of wealth and material possessions.   The pursuit of wealth accumulation has resulted in global wealth becoming concentrated in a few hands, while around 700 million people struggle to survive on less than $2.15 per day, below the extreme poverty line [1] .   In Guatemala, for instance, wealth is concentrated in a few families, while 16.2% of the population live in extreme poverty, a challenge predominantly prevalent in rural regions and indigenous communities. [2] In Jesus’ time riches were also accumulated in a few hands, and most of the people lived in extreme poverty and misery.    According to estimations 9 out of 10 persons lived close to the subsistence level or below it (Häkkinen, 2016). [3]   The Roman Empire had plundered the people’s possessions and distributed them among the Imper...

  Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost Mark 10:2-16 Rev. Neli Miranda Jesus has arrived in the territory of Judea where he will carry out the final part of his mission, which will be marked by a series of confrontations with his opponents. These confrontations begin with a group of Pharisees who challenge him with a question about divorce, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” (10,2). Their question reveals the dominant position of men in Jewish society as it emphasizes a man’s ability to divorce his wife, who is thus relegated to a position of object. To support their position, the Pharisees cite a Mosaic law, interpreting it to suit their own purposes; however, Jesus cites the foundational scriptures of Genesis, which highlight the creation of human beings, men and women, with equal dignity and rights. Last week, on October 1, we celebrated Children’s Day in Guatemala and given that the second section of today’s Gospel speaks to us about how Jesus wants us to treat...