Sunday, October 6, 2024
Gn 2:18-24 | Heb 2:9-11 | Mk 10:2-16
Come and see justice growing, illuminating, and expanding. Come, God’s dominion is in our reach!
I remember eagerly awaiting our mother’s return from the market as a child, hoping for a treat. She consistently brought back goods like doughnuts, nuts, or sweets, which were suitable gifts because of their rarity and their lessons in sharing. In the selection process, the elder child would divide each item and give it to the younger child and others according to the established custom. Sometimes it seemed inequitable for the eldest to have the final selection; nonetheless, the straightforward ritual fostered a perception of fairness and justice.
I want to articulate two significant themes from the Sunday readings: the worth of women and children, and justice as a manifestation of God’s kingdom. During Jesus’ era, society failed to acknowledge the significance of women’s contributions. Women were nearly absent; they were considered part of the man’s possessions. Jesus warns the Pharisees that women possess equal rights in all domains, including divorce.
Jesus admonished the Pharisees, asserting that to enter God’s kingdom, they must first comprehend and understand life and the universe through the perspective of the oppressed. The oppressed encompass women, children, enslaved individuals, and persons with physical limitations (Matthew 19–20).
Communities regarded children as subordinate and insignificant; nevertheless, in the eyes of God, children embody innocence, vulnerability, and worthiness. The Pharisees viewed women and children as property. Jesus critiques the Pharisees’ disposition towards children, which were reflective of the prevailing societal norms. Jesus tells them that to partake in God’s kingdom, they must perceive life from a child’s perspective. This also applies to the underprivileged, the blind, and the physically disabled. This entire group resided on the periphery of civilization. Social standards often ignore and dismiss people such as these, and perceive them to be inferior, leading to their marginalization.
In the readings for this Sunday, we observe Jesus’ endeavors to dismantle cultural and philosophical ideologies that treated others as less than humans. Our Christian faith demands that we champion the principles of respect and dignity for women and children, as exemplified by Jesus. Jesus invites us, the audience, to contemplate the intricate nature of justice in relation to God’s sovereignty. Jesus contended that it is essential to see God’s sovereignty from the perspective of the oppressed, who often lack the capacity to articulate their deepest desires. Today’s readings advocate for granting a voice and representation to marginalized individuals, along with the authority and capacity to fulfill the promise of divine sovereignty on earth.
The concept of fairness is profoundly important to me, which is why I perceive it in all my actions, from the basic act of sharing a slice of bread or a doughnut to my interactions with others. It is a framework based on moral principles. Within the framework of divine sovereignty, justice restores life. Imagine if we all pursued justice to draw ourselves nearer to the divine realm. Imagine a world where the powerful pursue justice for a select few, while innocent individuals pursue justice for everyone. Imagine a scenario where the pursuit of justice aims to restore dignity. In her words, Alice Walker stated that “only justice can stop a curse.” And Jesus wants justice for everyone, including us.
At times, societal perceptions of justice revolve around partiality, endorsing particular ideologies or pursuing veneration and vengeance. Recently, we have observed workers across the globe, from the far East to the far West and from North to South, advocating for improved wages. People are departing their homelands in search of employment that provides them with a sense of fulfillment. Those migrants are met with severe backlash. “Justice does not choose whose dignity is superior,” Cole Arthur Riley once said. “It upholds the dignity of all those involved, no matter whom it offends or what it costs. Even when demanding retribution, justice does not demean the offender’s dignity. It affirms it.”
Interpreting scriptures is a complex endeavor that necessitates inspiration and wisdom, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Initial expectations were that the Pharisees would understand the scriptures and interpret them with other ancient texts from the oppressor’s perspective. The Pharisees intervened in situations by leveraging the influence of the powerful, resulting in biased behavior and fostering feelings of inferiority in others. The Pharisee’s interpretation and dissemination of the laws within society clearly demonstrated who benefited from them. Historically, society has deprived marginalized individuals of authority. The Pharisees derived guidance on distinguishing right from wrong based on human knowledge rather than divine authority. The reading today prompts an examination of our relationships with others, as well as the application of our knowledge and understanding to ensure their protection.
This perspective presupposes that individuals residing at the periphery lack the autonomy to determine their own choices on life, values, and rights. We cannot evaluate justice without taking into account the power over people on the periphery that those in privileged positions have. Misunderstanding justice in that way serves to guarantee that authority resides with those conducting the interpretation. This contradicts Jesus’ teachings of justice and the kingdom of God.
To realize God’s dominion in our efforts to uplift women and children, as well as friends and neighbors in our communities, we must remember that justice begets justice.
Maryknoll Sister Rebecca Nyaki, of Tanzania, joined Maryknoll in 2002 and professed final vows in 2012. She served for eight years in rural ministry in Henderson County, North Carolina, notably rebuilding homes after natural disasters. She has also worked at the Maryknoll Sisters center in New York. Sister Nyaki is currently assigned to Hawaii, where she recently completed a training program in clinical pastoral education.
To read other Scripture reflections published by the Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns, click here.
Featured image: Photo of a handmade floating lantern, crafted in Hawaii. (Courtesy of Rebecca Nyaki/U.S.)
