It's a story that is...
Illustration
It's a story that is told often around the farm table. As fall crept incessantly toward winter, Frank planned a butchering day. He called his brother, John, to help with the butchering, which included both a hog and a cow. The day before the planned butchering day, Frank was hospitalized with a severe kidney stone attack. John volunteered to do the butchering for Frank, and he brought along his two teenage sons to help.
Frank didn't want John to bother, but brothers being brothers, he finally relented to John's insistence. "Just make sure you butcher the right cow," Frank warned. John thought that would be no problem, after all, Frank had the cow sequestered in a separate pen. But on butchering day, a problem arose. Somehow or other, several other cows got into the pen with the intended cow to be slaughtered. John believed he knew which cow Frank intended to butcher from the description Frank had given him. So they drove the other cows out and slaughtered the remaining cow. Problem was: they slaughtered Frank's prize heifer, the one that threw the best calf the last two springs. The intent was good, but Frank acted in ignorance.
Peter accuses his listeners of murdering the Author of life, but he is diplomatic enough to allow that they did so in ignorance. Nevertheless, they were instructed to repent of their ignorant deed and receive mercy. The big difference between Peter's audience and John's mistake: The Author of life rose from the dead; Frank's prize heifer was freezer-bound.
Frank didn't want John to bother, but brothers being brothers, he finally relented to John's insistence. "Just make sure you butcher the right cow," Frank warned. John thought that would be no problem, after all, Frank had the cow sequestered in a separate pen. But on butchering day, a problem arose. Somehow or other, several other cows got into the pen with the intended cow to be slaughtered. John believed he knew which cow Frank intended to butcher from the description Frank had given him. So they drove the other cows out and slaughtered the remaining cow. Problem was: they slaughtered Frank's prize heifer, the one that threw the best calf the last two springs. The intent was good, but Frank acted in ignorance.
Peter accuses his listeners of murdering the Author of life, but he is diplomatic enough to allow that they did so in ignorance. Nevertheless, they were instructed to repent of their ignorant deed and receive mercy. The big difference between Peter's audience and John's mistake: The Author of life rose from the dead; Frank's prize heifer was freezer-bound.
