The Three Crosses

The pounding on the door was what first caught the old man's attention.  The old man had been thinking back to the day when his entire life changed.  The day was as dry and dusty as any other and the heat so intense that it was like trying to breathe in an oven.  The old man had decided to take a break from his work and go to the village well for a jar of water, hopefully that would ease the dryness of his throat and get him through the day until he went home for dinner.  He set his hammer down and stepped out of his workshop that he had behind his house.  As the old man was walking to the well he heard a young man yelling, as he ran through the village,  "The Teacher has come!  The Teacher has come".  The old man didn't think to much about this, all he knew was that he was thirsty and he wanted a drink!  After the old man had quenched his thirst at the well he walked home through the village square and heard the man that everyone called "The Teacher".  The old man stopped for a moment and stood there listening to what the young man from Nazareth was saying.  What he heard changed his life forever.  He now knew that he had a purpose and understood that all that he did must be done as for the Lord.  The old man walked home with renewed vigor, eager to tell his family about what the Teacher had said!  When the old man got home he gathered his family and told them about the God of the Israelites and about their new purpose in life.  From that day on the old man performed his carpentary work with more grace and skill than ever before.

BAM! BAM! 
The pounding on the door brought the old man back from his reminising.  He hurried over to the door and before he could answer the door was shoved open and a Roman Centurion filled the doorway.  The soldier was tall with a harsh, cruel face and barked at the old man,
"I need you to make me three crosses and I have to have them as soon as possible"

The old man looked at the soldier and told him to come back in two days and that he would have them ready.  As soon as the soldier left the old man got started on the crosses.  Every since he had heard the Teacher's words he had done his work with a new attitude.  No longer was it a bother to work for others, building things that they couldn't, but rather it was a joy to build for others as though he were building it for his God. 

Two days later the soldier returned.  He arrogantly strode into the old man's workshop and demanded to know if the crosses were done.  The old man showed him the beautiful handiwork of the crosses and told him the cost of all the crosses.  The soldier loaded the crosses into the cart he had brought and asked the old man for a piece of parchment and ink.  While fetching the items the soldier had demanded he again thought back to the day that changed him forever ,knowing that had it not been for the words of the Teacher that day he would be the same bitter man that he used to be and not the gentle, humble man he was now.  After fetching the items he asked the soldier what he was to write.  The soldier replied,

"Write 'Jesus, King of the Jews'".