easy

I was reading about the preaching of John the Baptist in Luke 3, and I noticed an interesting imbalance. The things that John tells people they should do seem out of proportion to the threat. He says that they need to produce fruit in keeping with repentance otherwise they will be thrown into the fire, which is pretty full on. 

But then the actual fruits that John specifies when people ask him, aren't that difficult. For example, soldiers are not to take money from anyone by force or false accusations and to be satisfied with their wages. 

I think this is often the way it is with God. He doesn't expect super-human fanaticism. As Jesus said, his yoke is easy and his burden is light. I think what makes it seem difficult is that it goes against our inclinations and requires us to change, and that's always hard. Even positive change is painful and difficult.