Needed

There are no unnecessary body parts. I once had my bowel stop working; I can tell you that all of those disgusting body functions we don't want to acknowledge are huge blessings.

Thumbs and big toes are tiny, but warriors in ancient times had a simple technique to render any captured foe harmless: Cut off the toes (can't run, hard to walk) and thumbs (can't grip a weapon). Those four tiny digits amount to a fraction of a percent of a person's body mass but without them, we're helpless.

Paul makes the same argument in 1 Cor 12:21-26. Continuing his analogy of the church as a body, he says, "Hey, every single one of you is necessary. We can't get by without you."

He notes some truths about our physical bodies: weak parts, like thumbs and toes, are indispensable. Some parts are un-presentable, some parts (bowels?) we see as less honorable, and those parts we give special treatment. The parts that are presentable need no particular consideration.

After this extended analogy, Paul says this, "But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." 

God is concerned that we have no divisions, that all parts are treated respectfully as necessary to the whole. We discussed that yesterday. But what does that look like? Paul says if any one of us suffers, every one suffers with him or her, while if a member is honored, all of us rejoice.

Some of us do that very well. I confess that unless I focus and make some deliberate effort, I can be indifferent to the sufferings of many in the church. I also confess that sometimes it's easy to resent the success of others, instead of rejoicing when they are honored.

But I should nurture those who hurt in the same way I nurture a pulled muscle. And I should celebrate the successful in the same way I'm happy when I can add a few more push-ups. 

After all, the reason is the same: A healthy, balanced body is more capable of working or playing. For my physical body and for the church, that honors God.