Isaiah 6:5-7 (ESV)
[5] And I
said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in
the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD
of hosts!”
[6] Then one
of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken
with tongs from the altar. [7] And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this
has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
Isaiah 6 is a harsh denouncement of
God’s people, but it flows out of a revelation of God’s holiness. God doesn’t
judge sin because he is an angry God. He doesn’t judge sin because he is
grouchy. He judges sin because he is holy and sin is contrary to his very
nature and character, and his created purpose for us. He is angry with sin
because it has defaced his highest and greatest creation. In reflecting on this
chapter, three thoughts stand out to me. They have to do not with judgment, but
with ministry. The word ministry
means service.
First, Isaiah was overwhelmed by
God’s holiness. This caused him to see his own sinfulness. An encounter with
holy God exposes our own brokenness. Years ago, we had a grease fire on the
kitchen stove. It left the white ceiling streaked with soot. When we began to
clean the ceiling, we realized that the ceiling wasn’t as white as we thought
it was. It was dirty and grease caked from years of cooking. It looked white
until we swiped a clean cloth across it. Then we saw what white really was. Similarly,
we tend to think of ourselves as pretty good people. We know we have our
issues, but we’re not nearly as bad as a lot of people. It is only when we get
a clearer view of God that we begin to realize how broken we really are.
Second, Isaiah realized not only
sinful he was, but how God had cleansed him and prepared him for service. Cleansing
had to precede ministry. That wasn’t something he had to do, it was something
God did. That is the Good News! When we begin to recognize our own sin, our
first response is either despair or self-confidence. We either give up,
thinking we can never be good enough, or we think that we have to fix it. We
make promises. We work harder. We look for solutions, programs, and fixes. The
bad news is that we can’t fix ourselves. The good news is that God has already
provided the fix in Jesus. When one of the Seraphim touched Isaiah’s lips to
cleanse him, he didn’t respond by saying, “Let me have those tongs. I don’t
think you got it all.” He responded, “Here I am! Send me.” Understanding and
believing God’s cleansing leads us to ministry.
Third, ministry does not usually
look like what we expect. For Isaiah, it meant giving an unpopular message to
people that didn’t want to hear it. Sometimes we develop unrealistic expectations
of what ministry is. “Children’s ministry? Sure, I love children!” Do you love
children when three of them are all screaming at the same time? Do you love
children when one has pulled his dirty diaper off, a second is crying for her
Mommy, and a third is eating the crayons? Do you love children when unholy
parents are complaining about how little Sally didn’t get enough attention
today, or little Johnny should not have been given a snack because now it will
ruin his lunch? Do you love children’s ministry when you begin to suspect that
abuse is going on in the home and you need to do something about it? Ministry
is hard. Ministry is uncomfortable. Ministry is not all chocolates and roses.
So how do we do it? Ministry is done
by going back to where this passage began. Ministry flows out of being
overwhelmed by the presence of Holy God. Ministry flows out of an understanding
that we have been washed clean by the blood of Christ. Ministry is not about
seeking self-fulfillment. It is about falling down broken before a holy God and
rising purified, grateful, willing, and equipped by his grace. We are all
called to ministry. The real question is not so much whether we are willing,
but whether we have encountered God. Willingness flows out of relationship.
Isaiah 6:8 (ESV)
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
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