Meaning controls understanding and shapes behavior. When a parent names a child, wittingly, or unwittingly, they assign a meaning to their child. In this sense, the modern practice of choosing a meaningless name that sounds nice should give one pause. In the Gospel of Matthew, the Father controls our understanding of the role of Jesus by controlling when and how Jesus is named Son of God. As a result, we are left with a notion of “king” and “messiah” that dismantles everything we think we understand about divine power. Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Matthew 17:1-8. Episode 326 Matthew 17:1-8; Music: Darkness is Coming by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3618-darkness-is-coming License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/