“If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:26-27 ESV
Reflection: how can you quickly tell if someone gets hurt?
At some point in our lives, we all have experienced an injury or a sickness that has really hurt. And while the injury might be in a specific area of the body, we know that the whole body seems to join in the pain. But have you noticed that one of the body parts that reacts the quickest along side the point of injury is the face. We can literally look at someone to see that they have been hurt and are in pain. Same goes for some joyous event. Waking up pain free after an injury, receiving some great news, or whatever, will also be visible in the face. In fact, the entire body seems to join in whether it is something painful or joyful.
As we have looked at in chapter 12, Paul has explained that everyone in the church, the body of Christ, has been equipped by the Spirit, as the Spirit wants. “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 11 ESV. He outlines some of these gifts, such as speaking in tongues, speaking prophetically, teaching, knowledge, healing, etc., and makes the point that these are for a functioning church, for the building up and maintaining the body of Christ.
Now, notice carefully that It is not as if only some receive a gift or a purpose within the body of Christ – ALL body parts have a function, a purpose. No one that is a follower of Christ is therefore getting “a free ride”; everyone has a function or a purpose, and is equipped as the Spirit wants. “For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.” 1 Corinthians 12:14-18 ESV
The focus verses today remind us that, as one body of Christ, we therefore suffer if one part of the body has been injured or is sick. Similarly, when one part has a success, we rejoice with them, as a functioning body. One thought that struck me today is where Jesus Christ is in the middle of this. He is the head of the church, the head of the body. And as such, it was such a great reminder for me today that you can immediately see in someone’s face if they are hurt. Or the joy in the face when receive some great news. Don’t you think Christ is exactly the same? He being the first to know and express pain and joy according to how his body is doing? He doesn’t hide the pain in his body. Or his joy when someone is following him, functioning as he created them to be.
As a body of believers, are we engaged enough with each other, to feel, to participate in the pain and joy of what brothers and sisters in Christ are going through? Not let them suffer, or celebrate alone. And, do we remember how much Christ is involved in our pain, as well as in our joy? As the head of the body, he clearly is very involved. Let’s read the verse one more time with this in mind “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.” 1 Corinthians 12:26 ESV.