February 9, 2025 Text: Isaiah 6:1-8
Dear Friends in Christ,
A few weeks ago I was sick, something I am not used to, except I was also sick this week. Two times in January, more than the last ten years combined. Crazy. Anyway, what I had was the runny nose, the watery eyes, the sinus pressure. This is when Kleenex and Puffs make their money. While I go with the Puffs plus lotion, when you are blowing the ole schnazz that many times there is bound to be redness, dryness, you know, not a good look. My lips hurt. So, I applied Chapstick. Owee. Those first few minutes after application my lips were burning. Eventually the burn goes away and by morning the lips feel a lot better.
Whenever this has happened to me over the years, I am always reminded of our text. Isaiah and the burning coal put on his lips for his guilt to be taken away and his sin atoned for. This morning then . . .
“THE LORD’S TOUCH FOR UNCLEAN LIPS”
When Isaiah gets to encounter God, he is not giddy about it. He wasn’t on an emotional high. Why? Because he knew he was a sinner in the midst of a holy God. He sees God in humble reverence.
Isaiah found himself in the presence of the great “I Am.” Creator of all that is seen and unseen. He says, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people with unclean lips.” (v. 5). Isaiah saw what he truly was – a miserable sinner. He mourned for Israel and feared for his life. He had nothing to earn forgiveness. He stood before God in his naked shame.
What happened to Isaiah also happened to Peter in our Gospel. After the miraculous catch of fish, Peter fell down before Jesus and begged, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (Lk. 5:8). That is the reaction of those who get just a small glimpse of God’s divine nature. They are crushed by the reality of their sin.
What about you? You have come to this holy place. You stand on holy ground. You are in the house of the Lord – His temple. You have called upon the name of the Lord, invoking his holy name – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You are in the presence of the same God that Isaiah could not abide. We too are men and women of unclean lips. We live in the midst of people with unclean lips. We can’t hide. Our sin is exposed. We stand naked in our sin, without even a single fig leaf to cover ourselves.
For Isaiah, this is when he got the Lord’s touch for unclean lips. An angel flies to the altar, gets a burning coal, a remnant of the burnt offering, and placed it, burning, on Isaiah’s lips, owee, but because of this Isaiah’s sin is forgiven. He was made clean.
We, too, have been made clean. You need no fig leaf, for you are clothed in the robes of Christ’s righteousness. He who did not covet the glories of heaven came down from heaven for the salvation of his people. He has removed your filthy garments and clothed you with pure vestments. The cross is the only door to heaven and Christ is the only image of God.
We no longer mourn our sins. In the Holy Supper the flesh that suffered the holy fire of God’s wrath for you is placed on your lips and tongue, and you are purged of your sin, made holy and righteous in God’s sight. The Lord’s touch for unclean lips.
Say it once, you might mean it. Say it twice and you add weight to you. Say it three times, you must really mean it. In the movie A Christmas Story, a boy named Schwartz first dares another boy, Flick, to touch his tongue to the frozen flagpole on the school playground. Unimpressed, Flick declines. Schwartz ups the ante by double-dog daring Flick to do it. Flick laughs at that. Finally, Schwartz applied the coup de grace by triple-dog daring Flick. Flick couldn’t laugh this off without losing all credibility. Nothing could be more serious than giving the challenge three times. What happens? Watch the movie. It’s a great scene.
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts.” (v. 3). Three times Isaiah tells us who the Lord is. We are condemned no more, we stand with the angels and archangels and all the saints of heaven and sing with them the threefold hymn of praise, “Holy, holy, holy.”
Your tongue is loosed to sing God’s praise and tell of His glory. You no longer have to fear because you have received The Lord’s Touch For Unclean Lips.
Amen.