All together now

And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. – 1 Corinthians 12v26

We have mentioned in the past that, “No man is an island,” in the body of Christ. We are all in this together. Therefore divisions and schism make no sense. Paul makes this abundantly clear – “If one part of the body suffers, the whole body suffers. If one part of the body is honoured the whole body rejoices with that one part.”

It only makes sense. If you don’t think so, take your hand, pick up a hammer, and smash your little toe. Nothing major, nothing important, just one of your little toes. How is the rest of body going to respond? “Oh, its just that little toe, it doesn’t affect me.” Your hand has attacked your little toe, and the whole body suffers together. In the same way, if we are praised the entire body takes great joy in that praise. The body is one unit; therefore the whole body is affected when any part is affected.

Lets go back to the hammer scenario. Does the hand that yielded that hammer feel any better for smashing the toe? No, of course not. The same hand the hit the toe is going to drop the hammer and grab the toe it just crushed.

Now, what happens when instead of a hand and hammer one part of the body of Christ used his words to crush another part of the body? Sure, he may realise what he has done and switch to a comforting role, but the pain is still there.

When we see it in this light we see the foolishness and the inconsistency of causing another part of the body to suffer. It makes no more sense to smash another member of the body of Christ with my words than it does to smash my toe with a hammer in my hand.

I wish I could say “Amen,” but I am afraid I have to say, “Oh my.”