I'll Just LIKE Jesus on Facebook Instead

"I just wanna be more like Jesus"

I've said it. Prayed it. Sang it. Preached it. Shared it. 

Loudly. Softly. Tearfully. Joyfully. Sacredly. Candidly. 

Then I really started to think about it.

Then I started reading about it.

Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. -Matthew 26:3-4

Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. -John 6:15

Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.” -Mark 3:20-21

And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” And he did not do many mighty works there,because of their unbelief.-Matthew 13:56-58

Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. -Matthew 22:15

And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” -Matthew 8:20

Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. The men seized Jesus and arrested him. -Mark 14:44-46

Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. -John 19:1-3

So let me get this straight...

People plotted against him.
He had to withdraw to lonely places.
Called crazy by his family.
Held without honor.
People tried to trap him with his words.
Homeless.
Betrayed by a friend.
Misunderstood.
Flogged.
Mocked.
Struck.

Upon further review, there is absolutely nothing in my life that resembles this.

Well...some people in my family do think I am crazy...but for different reasons.

So when I say "I want to be like Jesus."  What do I mean?

Holy, pleasing to the Father, focused, relational, sacrificial, a servant, etc.

Sure.

And I want it WITHOUT any of the bad stuff, ya know, the suffering. Which actually makes us more like him.

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. -Philippians 3:8-11

I'd much rather Like Jesus, than BE LIKE JESUS.

If we really pray to "be like him" is this a dangerous prayer?