Once upon a time there was a court jester who had served the Caliph at Baghdad and his court, keeping them amused whenever they called on him. One day in a moment of thoughtlessness, he offended the Caliph. For his impertinence, the Caliph ordered that the jester be put to death. "However," said the ruler, "in consideration of your many years of service, I will let you decide how you will die."

"Well," replied the jester, "if it's all the same to you, O most generous Caliph, I choose death by old age."

There are some things we get to choose, and some things we don't.

We don't get to choose how we'll die. But we do get to choose how we will live.

In today's epistle lesson, Paul wants Christians to understand something very basic: We don't get to choose whether to take up a cross or not.…