ONE
BODY MANY PARTS
Introduction: At a meeting of the American Psychological
Association, Jack Lipton, a psychologist at Union College, and R. Scott
Builione, a graduate student at Columbia University, presented their findings
on how members of the various sections of 11 major symphony orchestra perceived
each other. The percussionists were viewed as insensitive, unintelligent, and
hard-of-hearing, yet fun-loving. String players were seen as arrogant, stuffy,
and unathletic.
The orchestra members overwhelmingly
chose "loud" as the primary adjective to describe the brass players.
Woodwind players seemed to be held in the highest esteem, described as quiet
and meticulous, though a bit egotistical. With such widely divergent
personalities and perceptions, how could an orchestra ever come together to
make such beautiful music?
In March of 1981,
President Reagan was shot by John Hinckley, Jr., and was hospitalized for
several weeks. Although Reagan was the nation's chief executive, his
hospitalization had little impact on the nation's activity. The government
continued. On the other hand, suppose the garbage collectors in this country
went on strike, as they did in July 1986 in Philadelphia. That city was not
only in a literal mess; the pile of decaying trash quickly became a health
hazard.
A
three-week nationwide strike would paralyze the country. Who is more
important--the President or a garbage collector? We can learn a couple of
lessons from these two illustrations. In an orchestra, it doesn’t matter which
instrument you may play unless you come under the direction of the conductor,
you cannot produce soul-stirring music.
In
the second illustration, in an organization, though, we need a leader at the
top, but so the insignificant persons who play an essential role in keeping the
organization healthy and functioning. Today we will look at how Jesus connects
with His Church, also known as the body of Christ, and what our role would be
as individual members in His body. We will find some answers in the letter of
the Apostle Paul to the Church in Corinth. I Corinthians 12:12-27
I ONE BODY MANY
PARTS
Vs. 12-13 “The human body has many
parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So, it is with the body of
Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are
free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share
the same Spirit.” In the N.T, among several metaphors used to describe the
Church, such as the temple, bride, family, the metaphor of the human body comes
closer to home.
The
same governing principles of functioning and wellbeing apply both to the human
body and the body of Christ. Here are some of these principles: one body many
parts. The church is made up of a wide range of people, from various
socio-ethnic, gender, economic, age, education, language, and cultural
backgrounds. It is the Holy Spirit that brought them together.
The
parts of the body are interconnected and joined together to the head. The
members of the church are mutually dependent and interconnected to the head of
the Church, our Lord Jesus Himself. As the head directs the body, our Lord
Jesus Christ leads the church. The overall health and effectiveness of the body
depend on the health of its parts. Same works for the Church.
Every
part of the human body, however small or insignificant it maybe is essential as
it contributes to the health of the body. Similarly, in the Church, no one is
unimportant, every member is necessary for its mission to be successful. In Vs.
14-17, Paul emphasizes the fact that each part of the body is unique and
significant, and they need the help of the other members, not only for their
survival but of the whole body.
For
example, can the foot afford to say to the eye, I don’t need you? Or can the
mouth afford to say to the nose I don’t need you? Try walking without the help
of your eye or try eating your food without the help of your nose? Our bodies
will be dysfunctional, and our life will be miserable. God knows the function
of each part, and he placed them accordingly in our bodies.
Vs.
18-21, “But our bodies have many
parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The
head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” Similarly, we can not afford to
say to others we don’t need you.
In verses, 23-25 the Apostle Paul reminds us how indispensable
the weaker and vulnerable members are and the responsibility of the stronger
members to take care of them. There is another crucial factor Paul brings out
concerning the members in the body of Christ is that we are to take care of
those who are particularly suffering and hurting.
Vs.
26, “If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is
honored, all the parts are glad.” We all might have experienced this scripture
at one point or the other. A few years ago, I struggled with “Gout.” The gout
flares were painful. It often used to start with one of the big toes, but it
impacted my whole body, and my entire family was affected by it.
Similarly,
if one member of our Hope Church is sick and hurting, it affects the whole
Church. For that very reason, we at Hope Church are in the process of putting
together a “Mercy Ministry Team” to be able to come alongside and support of
those who might be suffering.
I
could go on comparing the similarities, but you get the point. If I were to ask
you which part in the human body is essential for its survival, what would you
say? The head! Right? Without the conductor, the orchestra can not produce
beautiful music; without the head, the body will die sooner than later.
Similarly, the body of Christ needs the head, that is the Lord Jesus Christ
himself. For the next few minutes, let us talk about how Jesus is committed to
His Church.
II. CHRIST’S COMMITMENT
TO HIS CHURCH.
Several scriptures talk about the
fact that Jesus Christ is the head of the Church. The Church, the body of
Christ, belongs to Christ because He has purchased it with His blood.
Acts
20:28, “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his
church, purchased with his own blood over which the Holy Spirit has appointed
you as leaders.” According to this scripture to who does Hope Church belong? It
belongs to Christ. I, as your pastor and the elders of Hope Church, are not the
owners but only stewards to guard, feed, and shepherd the members that God has
entrusted to us.
Since
Hope Church belongs to Christ, who is ultimately responsible for its survival
and effectiveness? It is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. How is Jesus committed
to His Church in general and Hope Church as his representation in the Sharon
community? Revelation 1:5, “All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from
our sins by shedding his blood for us.”
Romans
5:8, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us
while we were still sinners. His commitment to us is that He loves us and frees
us from our sins. Since Jesus Christ is the head of the Hope Church, we worship
Him and try to honor Him in all that we say and do. Christ holds everything and
everyone together so that His Church will continue to grow. Colossians 2:19b, “He holds the whole body together with its
joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it.” What is the member's
commitment to Christ and to one another?
III. MEMBERS
COMMITMENT TO CHRIST AND TO ONE ANOTHER.
As
we learned in the beginning that it is the Holy Spirit, who places each member
as He sees fit in the body of Christ. Once we become the members of Christ’s
body, we have a duel commitment to Christ and to one another. John 15:4-5, “Remain
in me, and I will remain in you. For
a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be
fruitful unless you remain in me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches.
Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from
me you can do nothing.” We need to be connected to Christ for our personal
spiritual growth. Apart from Jesus, we can not do anything.
What
makes a Church to grow and be fruitful? It is the partnership between Christ
and His followers. Ephesians 4:16, “He makes the whole body fit together
perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts
grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” Though
it is the Christ, who keeps His body together, each member of the body has a
crucial role to play for its body to grow and remain healthy.
Let
us apply this to Hope Church. God has brought us from different places, walks
of life into this body of believers called Hope Church. Here we are His witnesses and representing
Christ in our community. Every member here is essential and their contribution
is vitally valid.
Christ
has assigned a particular task to individuals and equipped them with a specific
skill or talent to do that task. As is each of the members do their God-given
work in the Church, it helps other members to grow and become mature so that
the whole Hope Church will be healthy and growing in Christ’s love. The growth
of Hope Church depends on Christ and each of us.
How
can we practically contribute to the growth of the members of Hope Church? The
scriptures give us several pointers; I call them the “one another verses.”
Consider the following: “Be at peace with each other” (Mk 9:50). “Love each
other with genuine affection.” (Romans 12:10) “Take delight in honoring each
other.” (Romans 12:10) Accept one another as Christ has accepted you.” (Romans
15:7). Serve one another in love. (Galatians 5:13).
I already see a number of us faithfully
following these, “One another Scriptures.” I would invite those who are not
actively acting upon these scriptural commands to consider today to follow
them, not only for their spiritual health but the overall health of Hope
Church. I encourage all of us to read, meditate and, more so, apply these “one
another scriptures.” My prayer is that we will follow these scriptural
commands, so that we might grow and become all that God wants us to be both at
a personal level and as a Church. Amen!
