Holy Trinity Sunday May 30, 2021
Isaiah 6:1-7
Touched By an Angel
v.6-7 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for."
Dear friends in Christ, touch is one of the five senses that God has given us, along with sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Though everyone is different, most people like, indeed actually need, to be touched. It is built into us--this need for touch--contact with others. For example, did you know that some hospitals employ people to sit and hold newborn babies in distress? These fragile human beings NEED to be touched, rocked, and held--or else they simply won't survive.
Now touch, as we know, can be both gentle and kind, or rough and painful. We like some touches better than others (I didn't particularly care for the spankings I received as a child--as necessary as they may have been!). Some touches give us a thrill of delight (like that first time a boy and a girl hold hands), whereas others may cause fear or sorrow. Sadly, in the age of COVID, we have come to both fear and long for human touch. We long to be touched—to be in close contact with other human beings—as health regulations have dictated we maintain 6 feet of separation. Yet, at the same time, we fear to come too close, lest we risk the spread of disease. What a mess!
The prophet Isaiah in our text needed a certain kind of touch--a special touch. He was witness to the divine glory and majesty of the Lord God in a heavenly vision. He knew that he was a sinner and could not be in the presence of the holy God without dying. He was terrified as he was touched with God's holiness. For God's holiness consumes and destroys sin. But God in His mercy, sent an angel--a seraphim--to grab a burning coal from the fire of the altar and touch Isaiah's lips--thereby removing his guilt and sin--and granting him life and salvation.
I know, I know, "How could a burning coal forgive sin? It seems silly and implausible. How can water make someone reborn a child of God? How can a little bread and wine forgive people their sin?" All this seems impossible. It cannot be. It's like the mystery of the Holy Trinity (One God in Three Persons: Father Son and Holy Spirit). It just doesn't make reasonable sense to us. I mean, if someone approaches me with a burning coal and says, "Here now, I'm just gonna place this fiery coal against your face to make you feel better--to forgive your sin." I'm gonna run as fast as I can in the other direction!
What must Isaiah have been thinking as the angel approached him to touch him in this way? How can a simple touch--even by an angel accomplish something so big? Isaiah's sin--like yours and mine--is huge. Each of us is a person of unclean lips dwelling in the midst of a people of unclean lips--sinners through and through. My life is filled with guilt over the many, many crummy things I have done to hurt others--how I've disobeyed God--and I know your lives are the same. We have all been touched by sin--we will all be touched by death.
Though I realize it seems incredible that God could and would forgive Isaiah's sins through a touch with a live coal--this is what He does. And really, when we look through all of Holy Scripture don't we see God doing these kinds of things over and over again--working through simple, ordinary means to help and forgive and save His people? He works through the shed blood of lambs, goats and bulls to forgive sins. By a bronze serpent on a pole any who looked at it would be saved from poisonous snake bites. Jesus uses a little bread and a few fish to feed thousands of people.
The important thing to remember, beloved, is that it is not just these ordinary THINGS--nor even an angel--that actually does such great and wonderful works, but rather it is the Word of God. As our epistle stated, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and how inscrutable His ways!" So, in all things dear friends, we must bow before the word of God. We believe what He says precisely because HE has said it.
Now this does not come easily. Our earthly reason and wisdom wants to argue with God--wants to explain everything in nice, neat, little categories that our tiny little brains can understand. But let me ask you this. Is it reasonable to expect a finite human being (no matter how smart) to be able to fully comprehend the infinite God of the universe? Is it not rather arrogant on our part to expect to be able to piece God together in an image we can readily understand? Would it not be wiser simply to accept God for who He says He is and what He has done as He has told us in His Word?
I know, I know. We hear the arguments all the time, don't we? "God can't exist--especially not three persons in one Godhead--that doesn't make sense. The creation account in Scripture can't be true because we have all this scientific evidence that says otherwise (though of course there is no real, hard evidence, just mere speculation and philosophy). Simple, water, bread and wine can't really forgive sins--that's just crazy!"
But dear friends, God's Word confidently and calmly declares ALL these things and so many more to be TRUE. We must remember that even our own reason and intelligence--as great a gift it is in enabling us to understand so many things and to accomplish so much--is still corrupted by sin and subject to error and eventual death. Only God's Word to us can cut through the lies of the world and the devil and our own sinful minds and give us the TRUTH.
The truth is God is 3 Persons in 1 God. We worship the Trinity in Unity and the Unity in Trinity. Can we fully understand this divine mystery? No. Not completely. And that's OK. It actually frees us. We don't HAVE to make sense of everything--explain every little bit--the hows and the whys and the wherefores--we simply trust it IS true because God said so.
What has the Lord said to you? You are a sinner--touched by sin and subject to death and hell. That is true. But God has sent His angels (messengers)--pastors, teachers, parents, grandparents, etc. to touch you with His mercy and grace. Indeed, the Lord reaches out His gracious hand to you and has touched you in your Baptism--washing away all of your sin as you were reborn by water and His Holy Spirit. Your sins are forever removed--the old sinful flesh having been drowned in the waters of your Baptism.
Furthermore, Jesus touches you with His Word of absolution spoken through His undershepherds. Touching your ears and your hearts with the good news that because Jesus has died on the cross and shed His blood for you--your sins are gone--forever taken away. Despite the lies of the devil and the world--despite the arguments of your own mind that tell you what a great and miserable sinner you are--Jesus' word cuts through all of that and sets you free! Free from sin--free from guilt--free from death and damnation. Why? Because Jesus--the Word and Truth made flesh--SAYS so.
This day, Jesus also comes to touch you in a very intimate way with His very own body and blood given for you in simple bread and wine. So that as you partake of this holy meal by faith in Him you receive His body and blood for the forgiveness of your sins. I know that your mind will be warring with the Word of God as you approach this altar. "That's just bread and wine. It doesn't look, smell, taste or feel like body and blood." But it IS. Because Jesus said so. I can't explain how--it just is. Which is why we so often pray, "Lord I believe, help me in my unbelief." And He does.
Beloved, whatever may come your way--be it good or evil--joy or tragedy--victory or defeat--life or death--you can meet it head on, relying and trusting confidently in God's Word to you. "Behold, this [body/bread; blood/wine] has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for." Indeed, "To Him be glory forever." Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Isaiah 6:1-7
Touched By an Angel
v.6-7 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for."
Dear friends in Christ, touch is one of the five senses that God has given us, along with sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Though everyone is different, most people like, indeed actually need, to be touched. It is built into us--this need for touch--contact with others. For example, did you know that some hospitals employ people to sit and hold newborn babies in distress? These fragile human beings NEED to be touched, rocked, and held--or else they simply won't survive.
Now touch, as we know, can be both gentle and kind, or rough and painful. We like some touches better than others (I didn't particularly care for the spankings I received as a child--as necessary as they may have been!). Some touches give us a thrill of delight (like that first time a boy and a girl hold hands), whereas others may cause fear or sorrow. Sadly, in the age of COVID, we have come to both fear and long for human touch. We long to be touched—to be in close contact with other human beings—as health regulations have dictated we maintain 6 feet of separation. Yet, at the same time, we fear to come too close, lest we risk the spread of disease. What a mess!
The prophet Isaiah in our text needed a certain kind of touch--a special touch. He was witness to the divine glory and majesty of the Lord God in a heavenly vision. He knew that he was a sinner and could not be in the presence of the holy God without dying. He was terrified as he was touched with God's holiness. For God's holiness consumes and destroys sin. But God in His mercy, sent an angel--a seraphim--to grab a burning coal from the fire of the altar and touch Isaiah's lips--thereby removing his guilt and sin--and granting him life and salvation.
I know, I know, "How could a burning coal forgive sin? It seems silly and implausible. How can water make someone reborn a child of God? How can a little bread and wine forgive people their sin?" All this seems impossible. It cannot be. It's like the mystery of the Holy Trinity (One God in Three Persons: Father Son and Holy Spirit). It just doesn't make reasonable sense to us. I mean, if someone approaches me with a burning coal and says, "Here now, I'm just gonna place this fiery coal against your face to make you feel better--to forgive your sin." I'm gonna run as fast as I can in the other direction!
What must Isaiah have been thinking as the angel approached him to touch him in this way? How can a simple touch--even by an angel accomplish something so big? Isaiah's sin--like yours and mine--is huge. Each of us is a person of unclean lips dwelling in the midst of a people of unclean lips--sinners through and through. My life is filled with guilt over the many, many crummy things I have done to hurt others--how I've disobeyed God--and I know your lives are the same. We have all been touched by sin--we will all be touched by death.
Though I realize it seems incredible that God could and would forgive Isaiah's sins through a touch with a live coal--this is what He does. And really, when we look through all of Holy Scripture don't we see God doing these kinds of things over and over again--working through simple, ordinary means to help and forgive and save His people? He works through the shed blood of lambs, goats and bulls to forgive sins. By a bronze serpent on a pole any who looked at it would be saved from poisonous snake bites. Jesus uses a little bread and a few fish to feed thousands of people.
The important thing to remember, beloved, is that it is not just these ordinary THINGS--nor even an angel--that actually does such great and wonderful works, but rather it is the Word of God. As our epistle stated, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and how inscrutable His ways!" So, in all things dear friends, we must bow before the word of God. We believe what He says precisely because HE has said it.
Now this does not come easily. Our earthly reason and wisdom wants to argue with God--wants to explain everything in nice, neat, little categories that our tiny little brains can understand. But let me ask you this. Is it reasonable to expect a finite human being (no matter how smart) to be able to fully comprehend the infinite God of the universe? Is it not rather arrogant on our part to expect to be able to piece God together in an image we can readily understand? Would it not be wiser simply to accept God for who He says He is and what He has done as He has told us in His Word?
I know, I know. We hear the arguments all the time, don't we? "God can't exist--especially not three persons in one Godhead--that doesn't make sense. The creation account in Scripture can't be true because we have all this scientific evidence that says otherwise (though of course there is no real, hard evidence, just mere speculation and philosophy). Simple, water, bread and wine can't really forgive sins--that's just crazy!"
But dear friends, God's Word confidently and calmly declares ALL these things and so many more to be TRUE. We must remember that even our own reason and intelligence--as great a gift it is in enabling us to understand so many things and to accomplish so much--is still corrupted by sin and subject to error and eventual death. Only God's Word to us can cut through the lies of the world and the devil and our own sinful minds and give us the TRUTH.
The truth is God is 3 Persons in 1 God. We worship the Trinity in Unity and the Unity in Trinity. Can we fully understand this divine mystery? No. Not completely. And that's OK. It actually frees us. We don't HAVE to make sense of everything--explain every little bit--the hows and the whys and the wherefores--we simply trust it IS true because God said so.
What has the Lord said to you? You are a sinner--touched by sin and subject to death and hell. That is true. But God has sent His angels (messengers)--pastors, teachers, parents, grandparents, etc. to touch you with His mercy and grace. Indeed, the Lord reaches out His gracious hand to you and has touched you in your Baptism--washing away all of your sin as you were reborn by water and His Holy Spirit. Your sins are forever removed--the old sinful flesh having been drowned in the waters of your Baptism.
Furthermore, Jesus touches you with His Word of absolution spoken through His undershepherds. Touching your ears and your hearts with the good news that because Jesus has died on the cross and shed His blood for you--your sins are gone--forever taken away. Despite the lies of the devil and the world--despite the arguments of your own mind that tell you what a great and miserable sinner you are--Jesus' word cuts through all of that and sets you free! Free from sin--free from guilt--free from death and damnation. Why? Because Jesus--the Word and Truth made flesh--SAYS so.
This day, Jesus also comes to touch you in a very intimate way with His very own body and blood given for you in simple bread and wine. So that as you partake of this holy meal by faith in Him you receive His body and blood for the forgiveness of your sins. I know that your mind will be warring with the Word of God as you approach this altar. "That's just bread and wine. It doesn't look, smell, taste or feel like body and blood." But it IS. Because Jesus said so. I can't explain how--it just is. Which is why we so often pray, "Lord I believe, help me in my unbelief." And He does.
Beloved, whatever may come your way--be it good or evil--joy or tragedy--victory or defeat--life or death--you can meet it head on, relying and trusting confidently in God's Word to you. "Behold, this [body/bread; blood/wine] has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for." Indeed, "To Him be glory forever." Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.