MOSES’ BODY AND THE ARMOR OF GOD: A SERMON FOR THE 21ST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY (OCT. 20TH)

By Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West) 

Introduction

Good morning! Welcome to St. Alopen’s Church! It is wonderful to see you all this morning after such a long and eventful week! We are rejoicing in Alexandros’ baptism, in the good fruit of our Catechism Class, and in the intercessions of Owen, which has led to so much good fruit amongst his friends. We also rejoice in the Holy Synod’s meetings last week, the ordination of new Bishops in SE Asia, and the first convocation of the World Federation of Orthodox and Apostolic Churches! There are so many things that we can give thanks to God for this week! 

I will now say these things to you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen. 

Readings

- Old Testament (Deuteronomy 34:1-12) – The Death of Moses.

- Psalm (Psalm 90) – "Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations."

- Epistle (Ephesians 6:10-20) – "Put on the whole armor of God."

- Gospel (John 4:46-54) – The healing of the nobleman’s son.

Reflection

We stand today, like Moses on the mountain, upon a precipice that drops into the blackness of a profound unknowing, on the borders of life and death, struggle and victory, weakness and triumph. Our Epistle reading from Ephesians brings us a vivid image of spiritual warfare, urging us to put on the "whole armor of God." In the Gospel, we witness Christ’s power to heal even from a distance. Moses' final moments in Deuteronomy 34 reveal a life well-lived, though imperfect, bringing the people to the brink of the Promised Land, and yet, unable to see the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. Psalm 90 reminds us of our fleeting existence but also of God's enduring faithfulness across generations. 

All of these texts speak of perseverance and trust in the midst of life’s trials, a theme I want to explore with the help of classical literature, the Wisdom of the Church Fathers, and the Sayings of the Desert Fathers.

The Armor of God: Standing Firm in the Battle

St. Paul calls us to prepare for battle—yet not with the weapons of this world. The "whole armor of God" includes truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Paul makes it clear that this is not a battle fought with swords or shields, but in the spiritual realms, against the powers of darkness.

C.S. Lewis, in “The Screwtape Letters”, provides a keen insight into the nature of this spiritual warfare. The senior demon Screwtape tells his nephew Wormwood to keep his patient distracted by the mundane, for that is where spiritual dangers lie. We are often drawn into temptation not through dramatic moments of evil, but in the slow erosion of our faith through neglect. Lewis writes, "Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts."

St. Paul’s instruction to "stand" is a call to vigilance. The Desert Father Abba Antony says, "A man who knows the nature of his struggle will never neglect his prayer." This is the foundation of the armor—constant communion with God through prayer, grounded in the truth of His Word. 

The Healing of the Nobleman’s Son: Faith Without Sight

In our Gospel, the nobleman’s plea for the life of his son is met with the simple words of Jesus: "Go thy way; thy son liveth." Notice that the nobleman does not demand proof—he takes Christ at His word. Faith does not always see immediate results, and sometimes, like this man, we are called to walk in faith before we see the fulfillment of God's promises.

In a similar vein, John Milton writes in Paradise Lost, "They also serve who only stand and wait." The nobleman’s journey home, filled with hope and uncertainty, is a profound image of the Christian walk. We often find ourselves in the "already but not yet," trusting in promises not fully realized. The Church Fathers emphasize this aspect of faith. St. Augustine says, "Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe."

The Death of Moses: God’s Faithfulness in our Weakness

Moses stands on Mount Nebo, overlooking the land he will never enter. This is the culmination of his life's work, yet also a humbling moment. Despite his failures, God remains faithful, allowing him to see the Promised Land. Psalm 90, attributed to Moses, is a reflection of the fleeting nature of life: "We spend our years as a tale that is told." Yet even in this fragility, the Psalmist declares, "Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations."

This is the paradox of our walk with God—our lives are like grass, here today and gone tomorrow, yet God’s faithfulness is eternal. The Church Fathers remind us of the importance of humility in recognizing our limits. St. John Chrysostom writes, "Even when we are at the height of our virtue, we must say, ‘We are unprofitable servants.’" Moses’ death reminds us that it is not our achievements that matter most, but God’s mercy.

Moses’ Body and the Dispute with Satan

In Jude 1:9, we are told about the remarkable situation that happened after Moses’ death: 

“Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.” (KJV)

This brief passage describes a conflict between the Archangel Michael and the Devil over Moses' body, but the details of the dispute are not explained in the Bible itself. Some early Jewish traditions, such as those found in the apocryphal work “The Assumption of Moses”, are believed to elaborate on this, but the canonical scriptures do not go into further detail.

The Assumption of Moses is a Jewish apocryphal text that contains an account of Moses' death and the events surrounding it. Although the text itself is incomplete and has not been fully preserved, early Christian writers like Origen (in his “De Principiis”) and St. Ambrose reference the story.

In the Assumption of Moses, it is said that after Moses' death, God commands the archangel St. Michael to bury his body in a secret location, away from the people of Israel. This is done to prevent the Israelites from turning Moses' grave into a place of idol worship. Satan, however, claims that Moses’ body should belong to him, accusing Moses of being a murderer (referring to Moses killing the Egyptian in Exodus 2:12). St. Michael, acting on God’s behalf, refuses to engage with Satan’s accusation, instead deferring to God’s authority by saying, "The Lord rebuke thee," as also mentioned in Jude 1:9. 

This ancient apocryphal tale emphasizes the spiritual nature of this dispute, highlighting the theme of God’s sovereignty and power of the demonic world, and the righteous actions of His servants in the face of accusations from the enemy. This shows us how we should deal with the devil in our lives, imploring the power of God, and pleading His Holy Name, rather than attempting to do anything in our own authority. 

Living with Eternity in View

How do we, like Sts. Moses, Paul, and the nobleman, live with our eyes fixed on eternity? We are called to walk by faith, knowing that the battle is not ours but the Lord’s. We are to trust in His promises, even when we do not see them immediately fulfilled.

As we struggle in the spiritual battles of this life, I am reminded of the words of Fr. George Herbert, that great Caroline, in his poem “The Collar”:

"I struck the board, and cried, ‘No more; 

I will abroad! 

What? Shall I ever sigh and pine? 

My lines and life are free; free as the road, 

Loose as the wind, as large as store. 

Shall I be still in suit? 

Have I no harvest but a thorn 

To let me blood, and not restore 

What I have lost with cordial fruit?’ 

Sure there was wine 

Before my sighs did dry it; there was corn 

Before my tears did drown it. 

Is the year only lost to me? 

Have I no bays to crown it? 

No flowers, no garlands gay? All blasted? 

All wasted? 

Not so, my heart; but there is fruit, 

And thou hast hands."

Fr. Herbert's restless questioning mirrors our own frustration with life's burdens, but in the end, like the nobleman and Moses, like Job after his friends rebuke and scorn him, and we find that God’s faithfulness prevails in the midst of pain and sighing. We might cry out in frustration, “Why, God? Why?” But God's grace always brings us back to trust in Him.

Summary

In the midst of our fleeting and ridiculously short lives, our hope rests in the eternal promises of God. Just as Moses was shown the Promised Land, though he would not enter it, so too we are given glimpses of God's eternal kingdom, though we may not yet see its fullness. The nobleman’s faith, Moses’ perseverance, and Paul’s exhortation to don the armor of God all remind us that our strength lies not in ourselves, but in the One who is faithful through every generation. We must “gird up our loins” and “quit ye like men,” remembering that we are soldiers, warriors, sojourners and strangers in this world. 

We stand at the crossroads of time and eternity, as St. Moses did on Mount Nebo, looking out toward the Promised Land. The road may seem long, the battles may be overwhelmingly fierce, but Christ walks with us, and He promised us that He has overcome the world. We are called to trust in His word, to live by faith, and to stand firm in the armor He provides, knowing that, like the nobleman, our answer will come, and the victory is already won in Christ. In the end, we win. 

As we go forth from here, after partaking in Holy Communion, let us take courage in the promises of our Savior, clothed in the armor of God, and assured of His healing power, whether near or far. May we, like St. Moses, like St. Michael the Archangel, like St. Job, serve faithfully in this life, even as we fix our eyes on the life to come. 

Let us, therefore, pray with the words of the Collect for this Sunday:

Collect

Grant, we beseech Thee, merciful Lord, to Thy faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve Thee with a quiet mind and simplicity of life, in humility and good works, granting us a peaceful end and an eternity with Thee in Thy Kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who livest and reignest, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.

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