I don't believe any line to be a throwaway, so when Sawyer stated that Micheal "has the patience of a Saint" (paraphrase), I started to think. That line didn't really seem naturally placed, it was almost contrived, even if it fit in later during the Sawyer death wish conversation. Ok, Sir Occam is telling me that this was indeed just a line in the script, but I'm not listening to him or his razor!

Perhaps we are to think of Micheal as the role of St. Micheal as it relates to at least Walt, maybe Sawyer and Jin, and perhaps all of the islanders. I look to scholars to expound, but I recall St. Michael as an exalted Archangel, high among the Seraphim. He is the patron saint of police, and I belive for mariners as well, oddly ironic given the current status of his Captaincy on the raft.

Here are a couple of thoughts:
1. St. Michael led the forces of God against evil.
The simple parallel is that he will lead the island forces against the Others.

2. St. Micheal rescued the souls of the faithful at death.
Perhaps this is simply an allusion to saving Walt, faithfully waiting for his father's rescue to avert an untimely death or horrid life. Perhaps it runs deeper toward helping redeem Sawyer before his aforementioned death wish occurs, or helping others with general catharsis or redemption. In fact, he might have already done this for Jin!

Micheal has already played a pivotal role in helping Jin in the process of self-atonement. By their initial heated interactions involving Sun and the watch, and subsequent collaboration and friendship building, hasn't Micheal helped Jin atone and redeem himself for his past transgressions? Jin has since apologized to Sun and professed his love to her again, and he has also symbolically thrown away his past sins in working for Sun's ill-intentioned father, by giving away the watch to Micheal. This was important for as long as he wore it or held it or protected it, as he tried against Micheal, he was still accepting the evil servitude of Sun's father, binding his fate to evil. Jin gave this up knowing that he might die upon his rescue, making the sacrifice greater, in protecting his wife, in giving his life for good, making his catharsis complete.

Thoughts?
-Mang

Excellent catch, StickMang. Considering all the biblical references going on with this show, there's a definite possibility that you could be on to something.

Very interesting Mang

Michael says to Jin, while on the raft, "Do you know how lucky you are man?", and I thought that line must mean something, and now that I've read your observation, I'm thinking maybe Michael is helping Jin to repair his relationship with Sun, which is Jins most pressing demon right now.

Interesting theory, certainly. But with Sawyer proclivity to never calling ANYONE by their actual name, I think that there's no meaning to this. Just Sawyer being Sawyer.

But I've been wrong before.

I don't think Sawyer had a single throwaway line in the finale. I've been noticing a lot of references to sainthood. Sawyer also referred to Jack as St. Jack. I think that was meaningful too.

Very insightful post Stickmang. Really enjoyed it. I'm really curious how things will play out. With Sawyer lines it's hard to tell. Sometimes a mamcita is a mamcita and sometimes Short Round could refer to him helping to rescue Walt.

In light of the Season 1 UK promo, I would think we should look long and hard at that line again. One of us is a saint... We have heard Jack referred to as a saint also.

http://dict.die.net/saint/

Given that the word saint can have a couple of meanings, I wonder which one the writers have in mind. I hope it's more in line with being a paragon of virtue. ;) The alternative doesn't sound really pleasant to me, though it would fit with the religious themes of the show. Still, I don't want to see a character die in order to have him canonized.

I've been thinking more about this line. Sawyer referred to Jack as a saint, but he said specifically that Michael had the patience of a saint. Jack is not exactly what I would call patient. Perhaps Jack would like to be a saint, the same as Sawyer would like to be a hero. The point is that Michael has the quality of patience already. Hmm...

If the sickness is upon the Losties, will Michael's return mean the end of the plague? Michael now carries a sword/rifle. Given his aversion to weapons in the past, I thought that Michael carrying a gun was probably meaningful somehow. I also recall that one of Sawyer's nicknames for Michael was chief. Michael is considered "chief of angels." While Sawyer is fond of labeling people with witty nicknames, they usually are meaningful somehow. Hmm...

http://www.catholicherald.com/saunders/03ws/ws031002.htm

St. Michael the Archangel has been invoked for protection on various occasions. A great plague struck Rome in 590. Pope St. Gregory the Great led a procession through the streets as an act of penance, seeking the forgiveness of and atoning for sin. At the tomb of Hadrian (now Castle Sant’Angelo near St. Peter’s Basilica), St. Michael appeared and sheathed his sword, indicating the end of the plague. The Holy Father later built a chapel at the top of the tomb and to this day a large statue of St. Michael rests there.