Let’s think about Walter.

Walter Hobbs.

Walter wants a “reasonable amount” of Christmas in his life, but nothing too crazy.

Walter prefers to keep things moderate when it comes to Christmas …he doesn’t want things to get out of hand.

Because if you get too carried away, you are risking your reputation as a “sensible person,” and you are hazarding your hopes of working with celebrities like Miles Finch.

Walter is determined to build and preserve a life of “success and sensibility.“

But Walter’s life is invaded by Buddy The Elf.

Buddy is a mythical character who comes from a strange and glorious place we’ve all heard of, but honestly we struggle to feel confident about its existence (because none of us have been there).

Buddy is a force of nature. There’s no taming Buddy. Buddy will dominate your life with a deluge of Christmas cheer, and cookie dough, and smiling, and public outbursts of singing!

Walter feels uneasy. Because if Walter embraces Buddy, then Walter will most certainly LOSE his reputation as a “successful and sensible person.” In short, if Walter welcomes the radical ways of Buddy, he will look like a fool!

For Buddy destroys conventional wisdom, and he thwarts the orthodoxy of the balanced businessman.

So, Walter desperately tries to dodge and block Buddy, but to no avail.

Walter tries to change Buddy, and conform Buddy to the popular paradigm of “greatness.”

But Buddy is indelibly childlike and relentlessly committed to his Christmas extremism …and eventually Walter is worn down and reformed by the radical agenda of Buddy.

:::

You are Walter Hobbs.

You want a “reasonable amount” of Jesus in your life.

You will go to church.

You will pursue a Christian education.

You will even listen to religious podcasts on occasion.

But let’s not get too carried away with the radical agenda of Jesus of Nazareth.

But here’s the thing…

Jesus is a lion, and He’s stalking you.

And here’s the other thing…

Jesus is not a tame lion.

As it turns out you cannot domesticate Jesus of Nazareth.

You cannot interpret and apply the Words and Way of Jesus to accommodate your preferences.

Your life with Jesus will be on Jesus’ terms, or nothing.

And Jesus is relentlessly committed to His Christmas extremism.

And Jesus is persistent.

And Jesus will wear you down, and He will intrusively rearrange your priorities, and He will completely revamp your value system.  

And you will have to let go of your view of winning [which is this]:

And you will have to embrace weakness and childlikeness as God’s way of perfecting His power [which looks like this]:

And you will savor THE WAY of Jesus of Nazareth, though it will most certainly look like foolishness to the world.