One of the most famous stories in all of mythology is the story of the Trojan Horse. The Greeks are invading Troy but are unable to get past the walls around the city. And so they hide within a large horse statue and present the horse as a retreat present, a kind of prize from the loser to the winner. But when the Trojans go to sleep, the Greeks slip out and destroy the city. It's a famous story that has spawned parodies and battle strategies across the world. And yet, the whole plan seemed so fragile. What would happen if the Trojans rejected the gift and burned the large wooden horse? The entire thing would be ruined.
The New Testament uses a fair amount of battle images. I don't see my life as a battle, nor do I consider myself a spiritual warrior. I don't think the New Testament is primarily a war manual, but a creation manual. However, I do believe that there is a purpose to the scattering of battle images in the New Testament. Jesus, in particular, wages a particular war in His earthly life. Who is the enemy? Hebrews 2:15-16 tells us that it is against the devil, who holds the power of death. Truly, the battle is an anti-death one.
Becoming human would seem like a poor way to wage this battle. Much like hiding in a wooden horse might make you a bit vulnerable, so also becoming a human being would seem like an unnecessary vulnerability. After all, God doesn't die. People do all the time. So why would Jesus become a human and enter the arena at a disadvantage?
As best as I can tell from Hebrews 2, Jesus is far more concerned about helping people than being comfortable. Jesus volunteered for suffering and temptation so that He would stand next to people suffering and tempted.
In the season of giving, I take from this the Philippians 2 attitude of Jesus. May we all be shaped not only by Jesus' vulnerability in coming to face death on death's terms, but also may we model Jesus' vulnerability in giving of ourselves this season.
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