THE BODY OF CHRIST
1 Corinthians 12:12-27
The church is referred to as the Body of Christ. Christ is the head and the church is the body. As the body is one and has many members – the hand, legs, feet, eyes, nose etc, so the church is made up of individual members who are different parts of the body. This metaphor is very strong, deep and rich. Our text today analyses it in simple terms, easy enough for everyone to understand and fall in line. Every believer belongs to the “one body” of Christ – for we are all “members of that one body”. This is enough to nullify the barriers we have erected against one another because of race, age, status and even denominations. We were baptized into the same body and by the same name?
Every part of the body is put there for a purpose. As long as that part is doing its work, the body is complete and functional. But if it is disabled, the whole body feels it. Can you see that? You are an important part of the body of Christ. Without you the body is lacking something. You are very essential. Stop looking down on yourself. The body needs you; stop being derelict. Arise and occupy your place. Do your job. And efficiently so. Your part in the body is not inferior or superior to somebody else’ own. There is no need for envy or ungodly competition. We are all working towards the same goal. Do your own part and we will accomplish the task and celebrate together.
The analogy emphasizes our need for one another. We are interrelated and interdependent: “If the feet shall say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body. . . And if the ear shall say, because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole body were hearing, where were the smelling? 1 Cor 12: 15-17. We cannot do without and should depend on one another in the body of Christ. When you, as a member do your duty just like every other person, the body is complete and moves on. In like manner, you need the strength of the other person to make up for your area of weakness. Where one is weak, the other may be strong and vice versa. We should stop unnecessary fights and competition and rather make the most of our strengths.
The metaphor also calls for unity in the church. We may be diverse from one another by reasons of race, colour, language, denomination etc, yet we are one body. There must be unity in our diversity. We should be united not only to Christ, our head, but to one another. This unity must feature love, cooperation and help to one another. It is about time we did away with the things that divide and emphasized the ones that bring us together. Christ, our captain is not divided. If we are going to the same heaven, we cannot afford to fight oneself on the narrow path.
MEDITATION: There is one body, and one Spirit. . . One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all and in you all. Ephesians 4:4-6.
