The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts.
In the first part of this passage, Paul is telling the Church in Corinth that the church is a diverse group of people. There are many different roles for us all to fill. If we don’t fill these roles, then the body is missing something. God gives us each gifts that we can use to fill these roles. We need to figure out what these roles are for us. My own personal role in the community that I’m involved with in Bellingham is that of a leader. I’ve been leading a small group for two years. Another role that I’ve been filling is that of a host. I live in the dorms, and these past two years I’ve had a special two story room with a spiral staircase and a beautiful view. My roommates and I have had the pleasure of welcoming all sorts of people in to our room at all hours of the night. We’ve had some uncomfortable moments, but God has pulled us through every time.
All of us are a part of the Body. Just because your role in the Body isn’t the Pastor or Worship Leader or Sunday School teacher, you still have a role to fill. Some people are called to be here on Sundays, teaching. Others are here to offer an encouraging word to someone who is down. Some people are called to clean up the vandalism at the youth house. We are all called to do something. We need to seek God and His will in order for us to determine what exactly our role is in the Body.
Also, just because you aren’t a naturally born leader, doesn’t mean that you aren’t a spiritually born leader. When we get called to fulfill roles that we aren’t ready for, it gives us a chance to rely on God for strength and power. It also gives God a chance to lead this church. If you’ve always thought that you could never be a Sunday School teacher because you’ve never taught anything before in your life, and you don’t have knowledge of scripture, maybe this is a good chance for you to allow God to grow you. When God called me to lead a small group bible study at Western Washington University, I knew that I wasn’t ready for it. When I met the guys that would be in my small group, there was only one person younger than me, and the next youngest person was born on the exact same day as me. Needless to say, I felt completely inadequate for the job. All these guys were older and wiser than me, and I was supposed to mentor THEM! This doesn’t make much sense to me. But, God really was able to use that situation to get me to lean on Him and rely on Him for my strength.
The second part of this passage discusses the Unity of the Body. “The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!".” A brain is of no use if there is nothing for it to control. Likewise, there is no use for a Bible Study leader if there are no students. The parts that seem to be weaker are indispensable. Look at your thumbs. Imagine if they didn’t exist. Pretend like they’re taped to your palm. Try to pick up a book near you and see if you can hold it open. Now try turning the page. The thumb is pretty weak, it breaks easily and we can’t life 50 lbs with it. But it is also indispensable. Without it, we cannot perform the same tasks that we would be able to with a thumb. Without every role filled, our church won’t be able to work to our full potential. If we didn’t have people willing to help provide snacks at Vacation Bible School, we would have a bunch of cranky kids to deal with, and they wouldn’t learn as well as they would if they had a snack.
Also, each person should have equal concern for all members of the Body. The feet should care for the noses and the eyes should look after the elbows. We all need to take care of each other. “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” We shouldn’t be jealous of each others triumphs or laugh at each others mistakes. We should be lifting each other up above ourselves. When we as the Body lift each other up, then the Body has a chance to grow and invite more people in. When we care for each other, we are doing what Jesus commanded us to do. Galatians 6:2 says “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” What would our church look like if we were to carry each others burdens, if we were to constantly pray for each other, if we were to listen to others when they’re down? We would be a reformed church. People wouldn’t recognize us as the typical Sunday-only church that meets once a week to worship God and hear a sermon, and then go on our way, returning to the “real” world as if nothing was different about us.
When we fulfill our duties as the Body of Christ, the lives of those around us will be changed as well. When the Body of Christ moves, hearts are moved. Acts 2:46-47 is an example of a church that is living out the call to be the Body of Christ. “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” These people were living in community, sharing everything with each other, and God was blessing them immensely. They enjoyed the favor of ALL people, not just the people in their congregation. They were able to minister to the widows and orphans, not just of their own people, but also of the pagans. They were able to heal many of those that they came across. According to Acts 4:34 “there were no needy peoples among them.” A community that is the Living Body of Christ is able to move the community that they live in.
Is the modern church doing this? Casting Crowns wrote a song called “If We are the Body.” It is a powerful song that talks about the Body of Christ. It is a call to see the Body actually move in our communities.
“If we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way”
This brings us to the culmination of the passage, 1 Corinthians 12:27-31
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts.
Each and every one of us has a part in the body. We all have different gifts and roles. God has called us all individually to join the corporate Body and fill the roles that he has appointed to us. Church won’t work unless the community is healthy. Jesus won’t bring new Christians into a dirty nursery where his children won’t be safe. We need to be thinking of “We” and not “Me.” We are all called as individuals to join together as the Body of Christ. There is a poem by James Patrick Kinney which explained allegorically the state of a church that isn’t living as the Body of Christ. Read carefully and wee if you can relate to anyone in the poem.
Six humans trapped by happenstance
in black and bitter cold
Each possessed a stick of wood,
Or so the story's told.
Their dying fire in need of logs,
the first woman held hers back
For on the faces around the fire
She noticed one was black.
The next man looking 'cross the way
Saw one not of his church
And couldn't bring himself to give
The fire his stick of birch.
The third one sat in tattered clothes
He gave his coat a hitch,
Why should his log be put to use
To warm the idle rich?
The rich man just sat back and thought
Of the wealth he had in store,
And how to keep what he had earned
>From the lazy, shiftless poor.
The black man's face bespoke revenge
As the fire passed from his sight,
For all he saw in his stick of wood
Was a chance to spite the white.
And the last man of this forlorn group
Did naught except for gain,
Giving only to those who gave
Was how he played the game.
The logs held tight in death's stilled hands
Was proof of human sin,
They didn't die from the cold without,
They died from the cold within.
All of us can relate somehow to someone in this story. As a “poor college student” I relate to the poor man. As an American, I relate to the rich man. Who are you in this poem, and how can you change to be more like Christ. How can you use your stick of wood to help the Body of Christ stay alive and warm? What gifts has God given you that are needed in this church? What needs do you see in the community that you can help.
I pray that you can find your role in whatever community you find yourself in. Whether you are a young college student or a tried and true elder, there is a place for you. Seek God and His will so that you can find your place in the Body of Christ.
