King, Priest, and Oppression

When hearing the Lukan genealogy of Jesus in English, it's easy for people to adopt anti-scriptural notions of "king" and "priest,” developing incorrect expectations for how Jesus Christ will rule in the coming kingdom. But, as always, the key to hearing the author’s story lies in the meaning of the names. Between two Josephs, who fail miserably at continuing what only God himself can sustain through his teaching, lies a squandered gift and a failed hope of men who claim that Elohim is their God but look instead to the line of priests and kings—institutional functionaries of the very Temple Luke destroyed at the outset of his story. These false teachers and rulers repeatedly lead—not only the sons of Israel—but all of God’s children astray into oppression and slavery. Now, through God’s intervention, their line and the cycle of oppression are finally disrupted with the birth of Jesus Christ. It sounds nice, like something Rich and I made up, but every last bit comes from the functional meaning of the names in the first two verses of the Lukan genealogy and their interaction with Genesis. Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Luke 3:23 (Episode 478)

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