Acts 4:13
The Disciples Were Ordinary Men
13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
Matthew 5:1-12
The Sermon on the Mount
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Revelation 21:5 (NKJV)
Jesus Makes All Things New
5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)
Jesus Makes All Things Become New
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Do we shy away and try to overlook the common and ordinary?...Can the longer we live have us view our day in and day out routines and habits as just ordinary and common events?...Maybe over time the newness and freshness wears over time...Life goes by quickly, yet it can at times seem common and ordinary...The everyday errands and the same day routines can over a period of time seem to be rather routine...But could it be that I have missed something?...Maybe it is me wanting more days to be magical and different...I do not picture Peter and John or any of Jesus' Disciples as ordinary men...Yet, those in the Sanhedrin saw Peter and John as unschooled, ordinary men...So am I judging the everyday commonality right?...Is there something I am missing?...Could I be wrong about ordinary things and ordinary events?...Am I just overlooking something?...
C. S. Lewis said there are no ordinary people...He wrote, "It may be possible for each [person] to think too much of his own potential glory hereafter; it is hardly possible for him to think too often or too deeply about that of his neighbor...The load, or weight, or burden of my neighbor’s glory should be laid daily on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken...It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would strongly be tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare...All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations...It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another...There are no ordinary people...You have never talked to a mere mortal."...
When Jesus gave us His Great Sermon on the Mount, He speaks of hardship, mourning, meekness, and being persecuted...He speaks not on comfort, but discomfort...Is there ordinary in personal hardship, when one personally mourns, when one feels meek, or when is physically persecuted?...And though I think some might say that these things could be ordinary, there is nothing ordinary about His Sermon on the Mount...Jesus is sharply aware of those who believe in Him and those who don't...He knows which followers have faith, and which ones do not...And in all the things He does, nothing He does is ordinary...Yet, those who did and do not believe in Him are missing something...And they are missing something very important...If we believe that Jesus just worked among the ordinary and did ordinary miracles, we may miss Him and who He is...If His ministry was just three ordinary years of teaching about God, and healing, teaching, and helping others -how strong is our faith?...
Jesus lowered Himself to a Servant to help us...Many of Jesus followers and members were outcasts, were poor, and were in need of help...So do I or the world tend to overlook things of the uncomfortable nature?...Jesus asks us to remember those who are need of help, and to the overlooked...
The people around us and those we meet are not ordinary...Soon we will see many in heaven...Certainly heaven is not ordinary, nor will the people, angels, and spirits in it...Nothing is ordinary about Jesus...There are no ordinary people...There are no such things as ordinary miracles...Jesus is Extraordinary...