Parents, teachers, and coaches spend a great deal of time telling their children, students, and players what they want them to be. "I want you to be holy." "I want you to be hard-working." "I want you to be disciplined." But they know it's not enough to tell kids what they want them to be. They have to show them how to become what they want them to be.

Have you ever met someone who always sees the bad in other people, but only sees the good in themselves? One day Jesus met some people like that. Like a pitcher trying to strike out a player, Jesus threw a story to them, hoping to show them their weak spots.  Jesus's story went something like this:

Taking a first glance at John, he looked rough around the edges. He lived in the wilderness. His hair was long. His clothes were rugged. His feet were dirty. If you happened to see him at dinner time, you might have been grossed out at his diet: honey-covered bugs.

When we say we are blessed, we tend to mean we have received a reward for something we've done. "I studied hard, so I earned good grades." "I worked out every day, so I was given a spot on the team." "I did all my chores, so I received my allowance."