Breaking Winter’s Silence

The Twenty-First Sunday after Trinity

Soldiers of Christ, arise,
And put your armor on;
Strong in the strength which God supplies,
Through His eternal Son.

Trouble comes our way. It always seeks us out, for this fallen world is filled with the Curse’s brokenness. At first glance, autumn’s hues are warm despite the changing weather. However, soon the cold wind of winter wraps her hands around our necks, threatening never to let go. The hurrying antics of squirrels, chipmunks, and birds, busily building nests and hoarding food for the winter go silent. A trek in the woods is somber now. No creature is stirring in the daylight.

The cold overcomes the sunlight midday. Our sojourning becomes dangerous as the sustenance of the land becomes scarce. A night camping along the way becomes dangerous, for Death is near.

Strong in the Lord of Hosts,
And in His mighty power;
Who in the strength of Jesus trusts,
Is more than conqueror.

Jesus encounters Death this Sunday. He returns to “Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine.” (Gospel lesson, John 4:46, KJV). Liturgically, we also return to Cana with Jesus, as we last visited Cana and witnessed Jesus’ first miracle during the Second Sunday after Epiphany. However, there is a dichotomy in today’s visit to Cana. Today, there is no celebration, no wedding. Jesus is met by “a certain obleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum,” and “when he heard that Jesus was come out of Judæa into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.” (John 4:46-47). Death is always too near, too close at all times. He is an enemy.

Today Death meets his match.

Stand then in His great might,
With all His strength endued;
And take, to arm you for the fight,
The panoply of God.

Jesus responds in a manner that offends most Christians and scandalizes many unbelievers. Instead of instantly going to heal the child, our Lord laments aloud to the father, “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.” (John 4:48). However, the child’s father notably never contradicts the Lord’s observation. Instead, in faith, he presses our Lord, who has the Words of Life because He is Life itself, with “Sir, come down ere my child die.” (John 4:49). Our Lord does not go. Instead, the Word of God speaks life and death trembles and flees: “Go thy way; thy son liveth.” (John 4:50).

This father again does not protest nor demand anything from our Lord. He is an example of trusting in our Lord when it defies all expectations. Simply, and with childlike humility, “the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.” (John 4:50). This man of faith is an example to us. How many of us have protested loudly to God and even demanded that He act and act immediately and based upon our expectations as to how He should serve us? Yet this nobleman of faith opens not his mouth, but simply comes to the Lord of Life and makes his plea. Our Lord hears him and delivers the sick son from certain death.

We learn from this Gospel that our Lord may not act as we anticipate, but this does not mean that He is not listening. It also teaches us to always and continually bring our concerns to Him. The Lord hears our sufferings and He sympathizes with them. We are not guaranteed to always have the answer to our prayers as we desire, but we are guaranteed to have the ear of the Father who sends His Beloved Son to bear our sin, our sorrow, and our grief, out of Divine Love. The faith of this nobleman was rewarded with the restoration of his son’s life, but his son was not the only life saved that day. For we learn that when he told his household about what Jesus said and that at that very hour the son’s deadly fever left him, it led to the father’s “whole house” believing in Christ Jesus and being saved from their sins. (John 4:53).

From strength to strength go one,
Wrestle, and fight, and pray;
Tread all the powers of darkness down,
And win the well-fought day.

The nobleman’s very household was saved because of his faithful persistence in the Lord. He did not forsake Jesus; he simply remained faithful to Christ. He withstood the temptation to desert Christ, and he defeated death by clinging to the Word of Life. Therefore, we too, “my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” (Epistle lesson, Ephesians 6:10). How? We must “put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11). Our enemies are “not against flesh and blood,” but something more dark and sinister. For “we wrestle” instead “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12).

The winter that attacks our bones with cold only nips at our flesh. The sin that crouches to tempt us attacks our very souls. Death and Satan seek to devour us, but they cannot pierce us when we take unto ourselves “the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:13). When we cling to Christ and seek not to shelter ourselves but from Death’s winter bite, but instead shelter ourselves in Christ’s warm armor then we shall find that we can stand in the coldest tempest.

“Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” (Ephesians 6:14-16). St. Paul does not want us to simply hibernate in Christ. He is beckoning us to war. Death is a defanged foe. Satan is powerless over Christ. And Christ is calling you, dear saint, to war against the powers of darkness and shine forth His light amid the dark winter.

That, having all things done,
And all your conflicts past,
Ye may o’ercome, through Christ alone,
And stand complete at last.

Therefore, arise, O Church, and “take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” (Ephesians 6:17-18). Shiver no more that Death’s cold hands are upon you, shake your sword of the Spirit, and spare the souls of those who need to hear the Word given to you. Pray for boldness, for yourself and all the saints, that we “may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds.” (Ephesians 6:19-20).

Because we speak the Gospel truth, we shall face and wrestle against our old nemesis, the devil and his dark rule. It may result in us being placed in chains, but it means we are speaking “boldly, as I ought to speak,” thereby breaking the chains of all those in winter’s grip. (Ephesians 6:20). Therefore, go forth boldly and break winter’s silence with the footsteps on fallen leaves, bringing the “gospel of peace” and clearing the dead underbrush with the sword of the Spirit. Find the lost along the way, who seek shelter while silently freezing to death. Give them your armor, which is really God’s armor, and help them to stand up and keep moving in the warm grasp of Christ’s love for sinners.