I don't know about you but I got two sets of rules I live by. Number one you

always quit after the third hot dog regardless of context.

Number two, only I can punch my sister. Now while the first rule is just common sense

and probably on all of our lists. That second rule is probably a

bit jarring for you, but I'll have you know I haven't exercised this principle

since I was a little kid, but even back then my sister and I we get into it. We just punch each other sometimes because we were rivals and we were children and children punch each other.

But let me tell you what, no matter how much we fought, no matter how much we bickered, no matter how much she irritated me or disappointed me,

if we go to school and I find out that you are messing with my sister, well you and I, we're going to have a problem.

And it's still like that to this day.

And yes I understand the hypocrisy of that and no I would never ever ever

hit my sister or any girl ever but you get the point.

Likewise in Matthew chapter 11 we got a deal where John the Baptist is in an incredibly difficult situation.

He's got this one job to do, which is point people to Jesus and be like, hey, look at that guy's great,

this one who's promised the king who's supposed to come make the kingdom the last forever

and sit on David's throne and straighten everything out and the blind it's supposed to see in the

lame kin I gotta make sure I get the straight walk and the mute can talk and the dead are coming back to life and

everything is great like in the good way coming back to life not in the

zombie rotting flesh way and but John despite having this one job and despite all

of those things happening is under arrest he's facing his

imminent death he's no doubt wanting to make sure on his way out the door that he

threw his energy behind the right thing he's looking for reassurance and John's disciples show up in front of a lot of people

maybe John was imagining that this would be a little bit more subtle and you can just like pull Jesus aside

...