A Daughter's Love - Book 2 The Frencolian Chronicles (complete)

Chapter Thirteen

Luke had been working out beside the stables at the side of the manor house, with the farrier, who was helping him heat and beat some steel for the making of sharp tips for his newly formed arrows.

When Ellie announced to her youngest brother that it was 'his turn,' Luke grumbled and left his coveted task reluctantly.

Trudging up the stairs, he muttered discontentedly all the way to the top, his eyes turned to the polished wooden floor.

Nearing the office, he had the strange feeling of being watched, and looked up. His brown eyes met with those of his father's and he blushed as red as a cherry, feeling prickly hot all over.

"Tell me, Luke," The father asked, after they sat down in the office, having talked about his arrows for a few minutes. "Tell me what you discovered while with Shepherd John."

At Luke's hesitation, Louis continued, "Remember, I said we'd talk about the lessons you learned?"

Luke explained all he had done and seen; about the dead lamb and how he had taken Birthday to the bereaved mother. Jobyna had been up recently to see her lamb and it was progressing wonderfully.

Luke told his father about the wolves and his eyes lit up with pride as he described how he had chased them off and saved the lamb. "I learned to shoot an arrow properly, real good, too," he bragged, "I'd like to show you Father; and Mother."

"You heard the Evangelist in Chanoine, Luke. Tell us what you thought about his message."

"I wanted to ask you about that, Father. Brother Theon said that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away our sin. He said that Jesus' blood covers our sin. I can't fully understand it. Can you explain how God's Son, Jesus, can be a lamb?"

"Do you remember what Brother Theon said about the Old Testament sacrifices?" Louis asked, and breathed in relief as Luke nodded his head. This day was fast disappearing, it was well into the afternoon, and he knew that such explanation would take much time.

Choosing his words carefully, he continued, "Under the Old Testament law, a perfect lamb had to be slain and its blood sprinkled upon the altar, 'applied', to cover the sin of those who came.

"If Jesus had not yet come to earth, then we would still have to kill a lamb so we could have our sins forgiven. But God sent His Son, as His perfect Lamb. Jesus Christ, God's once and for all sacrifice gave His blood on the cross to cover everyone's sins, past, present and future. But we have to believe. Unless we believe Jesus did this, we can't have His forgiveness. Just as the blood of the lamb had to be applied under the old law, so today, Jesus' blood has to be applied to our hearts.

"Isaiah says, 'Though your sins be as crimson, they shall be as white as snow.'"

"But how can I get Jesus blood... and put it on my heart?" Luke shook his head at the thought. His parents realized he was not trying to be difficult, but was thinking literally, realistically.

"We do it in our minds, Luke, by faith. We see Jesus dying for us; we believe he gave His blood to pay for our sins; then, in faith, we trust God to forgive us and it's because of Jesus and His death that God gives us eternal life. Think back to the dead lamb's skin. Only when John placed the skin on Birthday, did the mother accept the lamb as hers. Now think of God. The Gospel Book says that when we believe, God sees Jesus, not us, having died on the cross to cover our sins. God accepts us as His sons because of Jesus. The mother accepted the lamb because of the skin of her own lamb. God accepts us because of the Blood of His Son, God's lamb."

"I... I can see what you are saying, Father. I do think I know now... but... it's hard to believe in a God that I can't see."

"Luke, did you know that Jesus had a disciple just like you? I've been reading about him. His name was Thomas and he said he could not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead unless he put his hands in the prints of the nails and into the hole in the Lord's side..."