The wildly successful show on HBO called “Succession” is a satire of a wealthy media empire, whose patriarchal mogul is aging. Those vying to succeed him in the business offer varied and conflicting ideas about how the companies should be run, but their tempestuous leader has no current intention of passing the baton. The dark comedy portrays the power, wealth, and often underhanded “politics” of one of America’s elite media monopolies.

If the television version of “succession” portrays the worst of human nature, then the situation in our gospel story for today as told by Matthew shows us the best –an alternative kind of culture in which respectful succession is part of the counter-cultural kingdom image that Jesus wants to depict.

The scriptural story of Advent begins with John the Bapt…