Aiding a Comrade (Past All Surgery) by Frederick Remington

Great paintings compel us to think about “big ideas” – universal themes of life. This classic Frederick Remington western makes us wonder about the turn of events that led to the man falling off his horse. Entertaining as that may be, the subtitle of the piece, “Past All Surgery” haunts us with a prophetic revelation as to the outcome of the cowboy. He dies.

Perhaps you see it differently. I’ll be the first to admit that the painting itself does not tell us what happens to the man. It is just a snapshot capturing the moment of impact. But, taken with that foreboding subtitle, the painting should cause us to dwell on the “big idea” of death.

Before we get to that though, first we should examine the beauty of the piece. Remington painted three horses side-by-side, each in rapid physical motion. The bodies are distorted by the awkward thrusting, and yet they greet our eyes as the perfect combination of realism and beauty. Remington was no amateur equestrian scribbler. He crafted horses in all their glory. Sinuous muscles, bones, hair, and flesh spring forth from the canvas. The background also delights us with the grandeur of a baby-blue skyline set off against the pink and cream grassland. Remington painted nature as one who thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle of beauty he awoke to each morning.

Also, note the muted violence of the piece. Even while depicting physical calamity, it leaves much to the imagination of the viewer. No “blood and guts” are necessary to tell us that we are witnessing tragic violence. The facts of the story are present without the shock value of gore. Remington leaves it off and we are the better for it.

Now we must turn to the theme of the piece. There is an incredibly thin ribbon of life that holds us to this side of eternity. Some men fall off a horse and walk away with hardly a scratch. The next day they may fall again, but this time land with vertebrae-crunching violence to their body. Is this nothing more than impersonal chance working itself out in the universe?

One of the elders at my church is a Vietnam veteran, shot through the arm by an enemy sniper. If Bob had been walking just a fraction of a second faster or slower, the outcome would have been vastly different. He either would have avoided the bullet altogether or he would have been struck dead when it entered his heart instead of his arm. As it turned out, God spared him from death that day, and years later brought him to saving grace through Jesus Christ. As he says, “I was a split second away from busting hell wide open.” Other comrades fell in battle, many of them without Christ as their Savior- but Bob was spared. By God’s grace, the slender ribbon of life held fast for him on that otherwise awful day.
James 4:14 says our lives are like “a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” Such a thought quickly leads to melancholy and despair without the cool breeze of divine providence – “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” So, in answer to the question about the apparent randomness of death, Christians know that for every person who ever will live, the exact number of their days is known to God. His providence rules over all His creation.

However, divine sovereignty is no excuse for human irresponsibility. Was the man careless in his horsemanship? Who knows? The picture is silent in regards to what preceded the fall. Surely there were safer occupations than being a cowboy. But what was this man supposed to do, not ever get on a horse? In much the same way, we take our lives in our own hands every time we travel down the road in our cars. As safe as we may be in our driving, others may bring on our death through their recklessness. Should we just sit at home all day, living in fear of the possible and afraid of the potential? No, instead we should seek to both walk in wisdom and trust in providence. God cares for sparrows and lilies, and He is able to care for us too.

Was this cowboy prepared for death? Did he rise that morning thinking this could be his last day? Probably not. Even with the dangers of his occupation, I doubt that most cowboys thought they would be “beyond surgery” within a few hours. Julius Caesar posed the question, “Which death is preferable to every other?” He answered, “The unexpected.” I don’t know if that is how I would want death to come, but an unexpected death certainly seems to have been the destiny of the cowboy in this picture. Was he ready? Are you and I?

Notice how nature itself works against the cowboy to bring death upon him. Gravity, usually a benign force we are thankful for, now utilizes its’ force to pull the man to the ground. Gravity alone did not kill the man though. It also took velocity. Speed works against the man, causing the fall to damage his body more than if the animal had been stationary. And speaking of the animals, the horse is the main culprit in the accident. Why does it rise up in revolt? Frightened though it may be, doesn’t it understand that the man will die if thrown?

No, the lion may lay down with the lamb in the future kingdom of God, but in the here and now death accompanies creation and visits mankind with fierce surprises. Horses get frightened and buck off the very cowboys who trust them for safe passage through the pasture.

So, we conclude the discussion without finding answers to specific questions about the depicted events. But has it caused us to think about life and death, creation, fall, and redemption? I don’t know if Adam rode horses in Eden, or if we will ride them again in the new earth. But if so, in either case the horse will not be a witless instrument of death to the rider. It is only in the present state of creation that we can find comrades who witness a friend’s death. There is coming a day when the saints of God will be “past all surgery,” but we will be past the specter of death as well. Even so, come Lord Jesus.

W. Scott Lamb is a pastor with Providence Baptist Church in South St. Louis County, MO. He and his wife Pearl enjoy the challenges and pleasures of raising their four sons. Feel free to contact Scott at www.pbcstlouis.com.