1 Corinthians 12: 12-31a v 25 “Thus makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other.”
The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So, it is with the body of Christ. If a foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand”, that does not make it any less a part of the body. But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where He wants it. So, God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other.”
Having studied anatomy of the human body I am very aware that it has many parts. I can still remember when we came to the end of studying the different muscles. I had thought many times that this would be endless as we learn’t the origin and insertion (where they started and finished) of the approximately 640 muscles (not all different most are in pairs!) of the skeletal muscles( attached to the bones to cause movement ) then there is the heart muscle, and muscles in the intestine ( an example of a smooth muscle) that do very different jobs well below the surface of the skin.
And the body of Christ? There are many different denominations all over the world but one God. Some very different from others, like those believing in full emersion baptism, weekly celebration of the Lord’s supper, wearing a head covering to receive communion, quiet celebration and prayers and noisy bands, hand clapping and dancing. In these times of pandemic online services, prayer groups and bible studies. God has put each part where He wants it.
So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. We are called to support Churches that are small, those in remote parts of the world, in areas that are poor, student rich, or ministering to those incarcerated or recently released, those that are different even in our own neighborhood. “This makes for harmony among members, so that all the members care for each other.”
Prayer: Almighty God whose wisdom is beyond our own understanding, help us to support all the different parts of your body in the world, knowing that you have put each part where you want it. Amen.
CrossWalk 