Chase That Rabbit

“Shhh, be vewy vewy quiet, I’m hunting wabbits,” warns Elmer Fudd while looking straight at me through the television.

“Why do you ask?” a man challenged when I asked him if he had a good relationship with his father. I answered his question and we meandered down a long rabbit trail, leaving my point behind. The rest of the day I heard Elmer’s voice saying, “Shhh, be vewy vewy quiet, you went hunting wabbits.”

 I fall for this trick more than I want to admit.  Sometimes I feel about as sharp as a bowling ball because I don’t recognize such things at the time rather than later.  In this instance, rabbit trails are unproductive.  I should have stayed on topic in order to accomplish my goal. 

In this passage, Jesus was in a discussion with some Jews.  They were trying to trip him up and now employed another ploy.  Jesus told them they could be free.  They said they had never been in bondage to any man.  The fact was that they were currently under Roman rule at that time, plus Jewish history is filled with times they were in bondage.  They wanted him to “chase that rabbit.” He didn’t fall for it, but rather stayed on topic and told them they were in bondage to sin.

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” John 8:32-34.

© copyright Kevin T Boekhoff