1 Corinthians 12:14-16 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.
Paul gives another illustration for how the church should be united and each member work with others to pursue the common mission. The body of Christ, the church, is quite diverse. Sometimes our differences can be difficult to overcome, especially as our world becomes more multicultural. People are not often homogenous. Minimally people come with their own personalities, stories, and gifts. Each person has a contribution to make and each is important.
Paul continues his comparison of the church to the human body using the foot, hand, eye, and ear. These are key parts of the body that we constantly use. They are “out front” for everyone to see. Other parts of the body are just as important but not as visible. If any part of the body hurts, the rest of the body reacts in pain and takes notice to protect the injury. The human body is a wonderful creation. So is the privilege we have to grow together into Christlikeness together. Every person who confesses Jesus as Lord in faith through the new life the Holy Spirit brings, belongs to this body of Christ.
How do we live this out? There are two perspectives. One is from the point of view of the church. As a group, we tend to look at the outside and what people do. When people are not involved or do not have outward gifts, the group may not seem them as important. The other perspective is that those who may not be gifted to be out front may feel inferior or not needed, or that their input is not important. If our gifts are more in the background, we should still realize that our contributions to the life of the church is important. Every member of the Body of Christ has something to add to help us fulfill Jesus’ mission for us.
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