The Ultimate “Trojan Horse”
by Nancy White
Whenever this country (or any other, for that matter) is hit with a wave of immigrants, the story of the Trojan Horse is discussed. Nations worry that the influx is just some other country’s way of stealing jobs, getting rid of criminals and addicts, taking over the host country, or sending in terrorists.
If you go to Ellis Island, you will see it in the historical posters outlining—the same fear and worries from when the Irish poured into this country and when the Germans poured into this country, escaping poverty and/or terrorism in their own countries. It isn’t new. I selected these two groups because my ancestry is Irish and German. This is what my grandparents and great grandparents faced when they came to this country.
This renewed discussion made me think about the ultimate “Trojan Horse”—Jesus Christ.
Jesus, the Son of God, eternal Being, slipped into this world through the uterus and birth canal of a young Israelite woman, and the leaders of world—the Romans—at the time did not see it coming (Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-18). Even most of the Jews living at that time did not understand or perceive that this baby was really the Messiah whose arrival the prophets had predicted for generations.
Because He “slipped into the world” in this way, He was able to remain largely hidden from the world until He was ready for His ministry.
When the time was right, He made His presence known by healing thousands, feeding the masses that followed Him, and by preaching a “radical” version of repentance, forgiveness, and salvation—a radicalized version of love and mercy that sounded like blasphemy to the religious leaders of His time and seemed crazy to the leaders/government of His time. This “radical” love converted many of the common folk who were tired and beaten down and hungry for meaning and purpose in this life—and beyond this life.
When the time came for Jesus to make the ultimate sacrifice, nothing that the religious leaders of the day tried to do, nothing that the government of that day tried to do, nothing that Satan himself tried to do was able to stop our Savior from fulfilling the plan the Father had made for Him (and for us) (John 19:30).
Jesus Christ, our Messiah and Savior, is the ultimate Trojan Horse. And if I claim to have been radicalized by Him, then I should be His Trojan Horse, too (John 7:37-39). He should be living in me and, flowing out from me, surprising those around me through my life, my works, and my words that are being led by Him.
If I don’t exhibit the kind of love characterized by an ability to forgive and let go, or the kind of peace in troubled times that totally takes people by surprise, then I’m not being the Trojan Horse carrying Jesus in me that I should be.
I believe that this is not the time for Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit to remain hidden in me. This is the day to make His presence known and, by my words and actions, to see if I can be His spokeswoman to radicalize a few of the folks around me.
So, I will strive each day to “sneak” into the world at large and—BAM!—unleash a wave of love, peace, and hope on an unsuspecting population. Join me.
My Husband Wes has two sermons on the subject of Jesus' birth and the holiday of Christmas. The titles are:
Should You Join the War on Christmas