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This Week's Sermon The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany 04 February 2007 "Purified for Service" LSB Series C Pastor Philip G. Meyer Soli Deo Gloria!

You have probably heard many sermons on this text, especially what might be called "evangelism sermons," sermons designed to motivate you to go out and "catch men." You might have even been part of one of those "evangelism programs" where you men, at least, were given a fish hook to put on your jacket lapel to show that you were perhaps fulfilling Jesus' words at the end of the reading. And I will admit that I have preached a few of those sermons, but I want to say that I was misguided in that. In fact, we have probably gotten it all wrong. We've taken this as a mandate to go out and evangelize the world when, in fact, Jesus spoke the words only to the disciples themselves.

If such thoughts and actions are misguided, then what is this text all about? Sometimes we look too closely at certain things in the text and miss the forest because of the proverbial trees! First of all, we are in the Epiphany season, this time of the liturgical year when the focus is on Jesus and his glory as the only-begotten Son of the Father. We have his miracles, his signs, as the focus. He casts out demons and heals people of various diseases by a word. He speaks with the authority of God himself because he is God. Today he is again preaching and something remarkable takes place as he does this. He is so hemmed in by the crowds that the gets into a boat owned by Simon and moves away from the shore a little bit. When he was done preaching he asked Simon to go out into the deep and let down his nets for a catch. It's all quite remarkable because Jesus wasn't a fisherman and Peter and the others were. Mid day is not a good time to fish. Neither is going out to the deep a place to find lots of fish. Even though his experience told him that this was a waste of time, Peter nevertheless did what Jesus told him to do. A miracle of tremendous proportions took place.

I. A CONFESSION OF SIN

What happened to Peter is also what happened to Isaiah in our Old Testament reading. When they realize that they are in the presence of God, they are suddenly aware of their own unworthiness and sin. There in the temple Isaiah reacts to this vision of the holiness and glory of God:

"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!"" (Isaiah 6:5, ESV)

"Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." (Luke 5:8, ESV)

Isn't that the way it is with sinners, with us? When they sinned, Like Adam and Eve hid from God. They didn't want God to see them and they didn't want to see God because they were aware of his holiness and their sin. Sin disrupts our relationship with God. Those who are aware of their sins realize that they cannot stand in God's presence and will flee from his presence when possible.

There are really two reactions to confronting the holiness of God. One, some people are very resentful of God because his holiness shines the spotlight on their failures and shortcomings. They resent God and are angry with him. I think that this is the reason why many people want nothing to do with Christianity, because when Christ is preached, there is a sense and realization of one's sinfulness. Such people react in sinful rebellion.

The second reaction is the reaction of Isaiah and Peter. They become aware immediately of their sinfulness. They are convicted by the Holy Spirit to confess their sins. "Woe is me . . . I am a man of unclean lips" . . . "I am a sinful man." Hiding from God seems to be the only answer. Then the light of God's holiness and perfection will not shine on my inherent sinfulness or on my secret sins. "I am not worthy to be in your presence, O God, get away from me."

These are all proper confessions! Isaiah and Peter truly confess, that is, they say the same thing that God has said about their sins. They acknowledge that they are sinners and are undeserving to be in the presence of God. But Peter's request that Jesus get away from him is not right because it doesn't square up with what Jesus wants to do for him.

Consider that whenever God appears to man or sends one of his holy angels to announce something to human beings, something has to be said to soothe man's fear. The angels who announced good news to Zechariah, to Joseph, and to the shepherds at Bethlehem, all had to say first of all, "Do not be afraid!" [Luke 1.13; Matt. 1.20; Luke 2.10]. Here God himself[!], our Lord Jesus Christ, speaks to Simon, "Do not be afraid!"

Why shouldn't sinners be afraid of God? Won't God punish sin? Doesn't he mean it in his Commandments when he threatens punishment for all who transgress his Commandments? Of course! The Law of God has never been rescinded, but something else is going on. The Law increases our sin and shines the spotlight on our sinfulness. When we hear the Law's accusing words, we can become resentful of God and shake our fist at him, but that would be utterly foolish and stupid. After all, he can and will punish.

Or we can confess our sinfulness and our sins, admit to what we really are, namely, "poor miserable sinners who "justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment" as we confess in the Preparation of the Divine Service. We are not playing into God's desire to kill us now and forever, but into his merciful presence. Contrarily, Islam emphasizes the absolute justice of Allah where there is no real mercy. There is also no real doctrine of sin, either, so one has little to confess! There exists simple denial that torturing and killing others is really a sin. Islam says that such individuals really deserved it!

The true God, the Holy Trinity, does not seek to drive us away. No, he seeks to draw us closer. He sends the seraph to purify Isaiah's lips with the resulting absolution:

"And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for." (Isaiah 6:7, ESV)

That's really what is going on here, isn't it? This is about Holy Baptism! There is washing and cleansing. Isaiah's lips are cleansed by the burning coal from the altar of the temple. His lips are purified because his guilt is taken away and his sin atoned. This is exactly what happens in Holy Baptism. All your guilt is taken away, everything that causes you to run from the presence of God. Your sins are buried with Christ into his death and grave, and that's exactly where they stay. Christ atones for them with his own innocent suffering and death. You receive his righteousness in place of your sin. Our catechumens should remember this as "The Great Exchange."

We could describe it this way: Suppose a child breaks his mother's favorite Hummel, one of those very expensive German figurines. He was running through the house while his parents were gone, clowning around with a friend and the very expensive Hummel came off the table and ended up smashed against the fireplace because he bumped the table. It can't be fixed, and even if it could, it would no longer have any value. As he waits for his parents to come home, he considers running away but discards that notion because it is completely unrealistic. He knows he can't pay for it. There is simply nothing for him to do except confess. No dodging, just confess, painful as it is. "Mom, I was clowning around when I shouldn't have been and I broke your Hummel. It's my fault. I am ready to be punished." He expects the worst-and deserves it! Who could deny that he deserves it? Instead, his parents talk while his anxiety increases, and then his mother speaks: "We forgive you! You acted foolishly and what you did was wrong, but we forgive you!" Forgiven! He certainly didn't expect that! He expected grounding for at least six months and maybe he would have to get a job to try to pay for a replacement. He expected that all of his privileges would be taken away, too. He expected to "do hard time" for his sin. But instead his parents forgive him! His burden is lifted! The burden of his guilt is gone, not because he deserved it, but because his parents were gracious to him. They showed him undeserved kindness.

God shows grace and mercy to us in Christ Jesus. It is not that we deserved it but because Jesus did. He is the one who purifies us with his precious blood in Holy Baptism. Listen as Paul explains it in his letter to Titus:

". . .he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people." (Titus 3:5-8, ESV)

You, too, have been "Purified for Service." Because you have been baptized, you have been cleansed, purified, made fit to live as those called to be Christians. That calling is best summed up in Luther's Table of Duties. There you live out your vocations as husbands, wives, parents, children, employers, employees, citizens, and the like. When you live as God instructs, then God is pleased because he has fitted you for such service.

So God calls you into his presence, not so that he can punish you, but so that he can forgive you, cleanse you by the blood of Christ, and then send you out into his kingdom to serve according to your given Christian vocations. "Do not be afraid!" You have been purified by the blood of Christ. He continues to purify you in Holy Absolution and here in the Holy Supper. Here Christ's own body and blood touch your lips and make you fit for service in Christ's name. Come into his presence because his intention for you is good!