Pronouncing a blessing on others: Hebrews 7:7 and mutual blessing in the body of Christ

Mike acknowledges Hebrews 7:7 ("the inferior is blessed by the superior") as a real exegetical point — it is used to argue for Melchizedek's supremacy over Abraham and therefore over the Levitical priesthood. However, in Christ there is no superior/inferior status within the body (tied to the Matthew 23 discussion). He suggests that mutual blessing is consistent with kingdom-of-priests ecclesiology. He notes his own personal practice of framing blessings as prayer requests ("Lord, bless that person") rather than direct pronouncements, which may resolve the hierarchical concern by making God the one who blesses.