Proper 17 Lucas 14:1, 7-14 Rev. Neli Miranda Honor and shame … two pivotal values that ruled Jewish society in the first century. An honorable person was distinguished for belonging to a recognized family, for holding a high position for being wise, for having good health, abundant offspring and material possessions, all of which were continually exhibited in many ways. Honor meant esteem, respect, and reputation among the community. Shame , on the other way, meant humiliation and loss of standing, and in Jesus’ time most of the population lived on the side of shame: the poor, the sick, the despised like the prostitutes and tax collectors, and those considered criminals; in general, all those who did not belong to the elite. To gain honor and avoid falling into shame ruled people’s behavior. It was a strong incentive that marked people’s daily actions to step over others to maintain their own status. An important way to maintain or increase self-honor was ...
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Proper 19, August 21, 2022 Lucas 13:10-17 Rev. Neli Miranda “She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight …” (13,11). What tremendous weight this woman was carrying! Luke tells us that this woman had a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. How should we read this spirit that had crippled her so terribly? A bone disease that had gone untreated? Physical and emotional weight due to heavy, tireless housework? Social and religious obligations? Despite her condition, she attended the synagogue on the Sabbath day, surely with great difficulty. What had moved this woman to come to the synagogue despite her limited and strained mobility? Perhaps she was a woman of great faith, a woman devoted to worshiping with her community. Maybe she hoped to find relief and liberation by participating in the Sabbath celebration. Deuteronomy tells us that a t the heart of the S...
Tenth Sunday After Pentecost. August 14, 2022 Lucas 12:49-56 Rev. Neli Miranda Fire, division, hypocrites. . .! What harsh words we hear in today’s gospel! These words must be understood within the context of the intense moment Jesus lives on his way to Jerusalem. Time is running out, the opposition grows, the cross is approaching, and many people still fail to understand his message. . . From the beginning of his ministry in Galilee, Jesus faced the opposition and rejection of the Jewish leadership; however, he continued his proclamation and set his mind on Jerusalem. Going to Jerusalem was a crucial decision in Jesus’ life; it meant the proclamation of the Kingdom of God among the religious and political center of Jewish life. Jesus knew it was a journey without return. In previous chapters in Luke, he had announced to his disciples, “ The Son of Man [He himself] must undergo great suffering and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes and b...
Proper 14. August 7, 2022. Luke 12:32-40 Rev. Neli ML "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions" (12,15). This is the exhortation from last week’s sermon that still reverberates in our ears and hearts this day. Last Sunday we heard about a rich fool who thought of accumulating wealth for himself without knowing that that night he would die despite his many possessions. In teaching about this desire for accumulation, Jesus said, “. . .life does not consist in the abundance of possession.” Today, Jesus continues teaching us about possessions… but, before engaging in today’s gospel, I would like to take you back to the preceding verses in which Jesus exhorts us to not worry or be anxious about material needs. Jesus assures us that God, like a good father, knows our needs and provides us with them. Jesus tells us, “. . . do not keep striving for what you are to eat and wha...
Proper 12. July 24, 2022 Luke 11:1-13 Rev. Neli ML Today’s Gospel brings us one of the most representative passages of the Christian faith, “The Lord´s Prayer”, which has been the prayer for excellence in Christian spirituality. Many Christian generations have prayed this prayer throughout the centuries! Matthew and Luke recorded this prayer and the beautiful memory of Jesus teaching it to his first community. Luke’s version is shorter and differs in some details from Matthew’s. Nonetheless, they both tell us of this endearing moment when Jesus teaches his disciples to pray. In his account, Luke tells us that Jesus was praying, and when he had finished, one of his disciples asked him “Lord, teach us to pray…” (11,1). Why would this disciple ask Jesus this when it was known that the Jews recited prayers three times a day? Maybe Jesus’ way of praying was so distinct and moving that his disciples wanted to learn his way. Thanks to this disciple, today we have...
Proper 11, July 17, 2022 Luke 10:38-48 Rev. Neli ML Martha, Mary, and their brother Lazarus were three of the most important disciples in Jesus’ ministry. They lived in Bethany, a small village two miles from Jerusalem. Through the Gospel of John we learn more about them, the great relationship they had with Jesus, and how much he loved them. In today’s Gospel we only hear about Martha and Mary. Very succinctly, Luke tells us that Jesus entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him. Despite this brief introduction, from the beginning we can perceive Martha’s great leadership and her very active personality. Luke also tells us that Martha had a sister named Mary, who from the beginning, appears seated at Jesus’ feet. However, she is not just only seated but listening to Jesus’ words. The sisters’ different personalities made them a great duo of disciples serving Jesus. This time Martha is not enjoying Jesus’ company, and Luke tells us that...