Ever been in a group of people where you can feel the superiority at the surface of people’s conversations? If not then spend a few moments on social media and you will discover it fairly quickly. This Church at Corinth had members who were feeling they were more important than others and it was based on their gifting. Where there is superiority you will always find inferiority. Equally members felt they were not quite making the grade. They were the foot or the ear of a body as Paul explains.
“Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honour to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.” (1 Corinthians 12 v 15-26)
What does this tell us?
- You may feel inferior but you are needed as much as anyone else, v15.
- You may feel inadequate but that doesn’t change the fact you belong to the whole body of the Church, v16.
- Pay attention to the giftings in the Church that may appear small but make an important contribution, v17.
- God created the diversity of the Church. He intended for different gifts to be given to different people, v18.
- The most important gifting is the whole of the gifts working together, that is the intent of the Holy Spirit, v19-20.
- No one should look down on anyone for those that appear lesser are indispensable, v21-22
- The plan of God gives greater honour to those who don’t look as important, v23-25.
- Church members have bad days and good days and when they do then the whole Church is impacted if they are being who God created them to be, v26.
To take even just one of those points and think about your Church to pray and perhaps make changes in your own life will be transformational.
Paul takes a humorous image of body parts and uses them to bring about this profound teaching and the Church today needs to hear it more than ever.
Missions Paul 