Of eyes and ears and hands and feet

But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. – 1 Corinthians 12.20-26

I always enjoy preaching this passage. The way my mind works I get such vivid imagery that Paul uses as he pictures the members of the Body of Christ with members of our physical bodies.

If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore 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 were hearing, where were the smelling?

The foot can’t be jealous of the hand. The ear cannot be jealous of the eye. The eye cannot be jealous of the ear. What good would it be if all the body were a hand or any eye or an ear? The body would be pretty useless. In fact, Paul write that is sometimes the least regarded parts of our body that are most important.

Therefore there is no room for schism or division in the body of Christ than there is in our own body. It is like cutting off a hand or a foot or plucking out an eye because another part of the body is envious of it. If one part of our body suffers the whole body suffers. My feet and a knee are giving me a little trouble right now and my whole body knows it and suffers as a result. As things are slowly improving my whole body is rejoicing.

Every part of the body is vital. Every job must be done if we are going to move forward in a God honouring way.

We are one – let’s act like it.