I want to look only at some of the characteristics of Jesus. He was so much of who we are not. Now, since we call Jesus our pattern Son, what’s up with that? Or could it be that who and how Jesus was 2,000 years ago in His culture is impossible to be in our culture. Sounds like a good excuse, but I don’t think it really flies.
Jesus was a revolutionary!
Jesus refused to bow to religious conformity. He would not go along with hypocrisy. He had no problem angering His enemies or those who opposed Him. He didn’t simply go along to get along. Does any of this sound like us today. Or, do we have to be politically correct in all that we do today?
As Frank Viola said, “If you are a disciple of Jesus, you will eventually evoke a specific question. And that question is, why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders?” I’ve been asked that. Why are you doing this? Why did you say that? You don’t get asked those questions if you’re doing what everyone else is doing.
Hopefully they are things from the Holy Spirit.
We sure speak alot about biological cloning- and how it’s not a good thing. But how about spiritual, religious cloning? When is that not a good thing as well? The church (ekklesia) is defined as the “called out”. Called out of what? Maybe conventional wisdom? If there was anything Jesus was not, it was a follower of conventional wisdom. No, His was a subversive wisdom.
It’s ours for the offering, provided we step out of our need to be religiously-correct. 
Like you have heard it said “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” but I tell you, “Love your enemies?”
You mean love (accept them) gays, others of other religions besides my own? Love my neighbor that looks like a biker gang member or fellow students that dress in the “Gothic” style or that homeless person you see begging or sleeping on the streets?
You mean love those that spitefully use me, shun me, look down their noses at me like I am not as good as them, calls me names, won’t be friendly to me?
This is getting pretty radical!
Yes Jesus was!
Oh that I could truly BE just like Him by live Him before my fellow man. I want to sob at how short I fall, in so many areas, so many times.