Just recently I was discussing with a few friends about the reason, according to Christianity, why Jesus died on a cross. We talked, for some time, about the reality, extent and problem of human sin. We talked about goodness and our own sense of morality and righteousness and that it is quite common for people to think they are good people.

But what if good, just isn’t good enough? What if the requirement was, well, fantastic? Are you fantastic? And if you are and you make it to fantastic, with your fantastic life and your fantastic family and fantastic friends – what happens if you find out then, that what really was expected was INCREDIBLY AWESOME or some other unattainable adjective? What then?

And if fantastic is what life should be about, what of those who have failed to get over the much lower bar of average and instead bumble and plod about their ordinary lives, in an ordinary street, doing an ordinary job with their more or less ordinary family? Or to put it more personally, what happens to me? I am not fantastic.

I am one of seven billion people currently alive. I am limited in knowledge, time, space, energy and a thousand other ways. I am by definition, very ordinary.

God has not asked me to be fantastic, but meek. God does not require me to be awesome but to be humble, poor in spirit. God has not laid on me the burden of being the greatest but asked me if I’m hungry or thirsty. God did not tell me to stand out from the crowd but instead to love the crowd around me. My example in life is a carpenter not a celebrity. It’s faith not fame that God is interested in.

It’s often thought that a life of faith places great burdens and requirements on its adherents but compared to the burden of being fantastic? Now that is a heavy load. Jesus’ voice rings out to a world weary of trying to be brilliant:

“Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest.”

Matthew 11:29