“If One Member Suffers, All Suffer Together…”

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Meditation on I Cor. 12:12-31a

Jan. 27, 2013

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       “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

       Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot were to 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 were to 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 the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be?

        As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’, nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this.  But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

        Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.”  

 (I Cor. 12:12-31a)

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     We had just finished our study of the book of Acts one Tuesday morning a few weeks ago, when I asked each person what they liked to do for the church and for the Lord. What was it that they used to do when they were younger and before they moved into Meadows, the assisted living center in town?

      One loved to sew and quilt.  Another enjoyed serving on committees. Still another played organ and piano during worship.  Others enjoyed singing. One loved to grow flowers and arrange them in vases.  A few women enjoyed teaching Sunday school or VBS.  But others were most comfortable working in the kitchen.  One said her favorite thing of all was to scrape food off plates before they were washed! Some of the quieter men would work behind the scenes, doing whatever they were asked to do or whatever they saw needed to be done. One man spoke passionately about his trips to China with his wife, taking Bibles to the underground church.

      I wasn’t surprised that in a room of 18 or 20 people, so many different spiritual gifts would be evident.  A variety of gifts are needed for God to accomplish His purposes. We need people to work in the kitchen, on the building and property, and other labors behind the scenes just as much as we need teachers and preachers!

    Listening as they shared what they liked to do, I could feel something happening in the room.  The Spirit was knitting us closer together in His love and the joy of shared mission.

    And then, when I was with the same group again last Tuesday talking about spiritual gifts, the one who had said she enjoyed scraping plates said she doubted that she could be of use to the Lord anymore—now that she has health problems and difficulty getting around. 

     A hush fell in the room and I could feel something happening, again.  The Spirit was knitting us closer together, once more, but this time it wasn’t because of the joy of shared mission; it was because one member of our group was suffering.  Because we love one another, we all felt the suffering as if it were in our own bodies.  And we wanted to take away her pain and lift her spirits.

     People began to encourage her, reminding her of how she has visited and reached out to others in need. They pointed out that even though she had physical limitations, God was using her, anyway.

     Another person reminded her that although she could not do all the things she used to be able to do, she could always do the one thing we are all called to do; she could pray!

    

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    In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul is also trying to encourage people that God is using everyone in the Body of Christ.  No gift is more honorable or prestigious than another.  All are needed to work together to accomplish His will!

     The problem in the Corinthian church isn’t that some are feeling unworthy and doubt that God can use them for His work.  The problem with the Corinthians is that those with certain spiritual gifts feel they are better than everybody else!  They who live in a society stratified by class and socioeconomic status have brought those same worldly views and prejudices into the life of the Church.  They are prideful of their spiritual gifts and talents, instead of giving God all the glory and thanking Him for the Spirit that is equipping them and leading them to do His work!

    They don’t understand that life in the Kingdom of God isn’t like life in their class-conscious, money-loving society.  Christ, who associated with the lowly, weak, and poor, has made us all the same through His suffering work on the cross. He is the great equalizer, dying to wipe away the sins of the world and rising again to show us the eternal hope for all humanity.  He sent us His Spirit not so we could lord our gifts over others, but to unite and empower us to humbly serve and do what we are supposed to do as a church: love God and care for one another!

      Paul says,  “The members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this.  But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another.  If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.”

 

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      As we prepare to ordain and install new ruling elders on our session, I encourage us all to continue seeking the Lord for the most excellent gift—love.  Remember that the work of the church and our session is first and foremost about loving God and caring for one another. Remember the job of every Christian—to pray.

     And when one member might feel unworthy or useless to God, we should lift them up with encouraging words.

      To Tammy, Larry, and James, I say this to help you in your work for the Lord.  You may be feeling unworthy right now, wondering why you are being chosen to be a ruling elder in our church.  You may be worrying that you don’t have the spiritual gifts or experience needed for the job.  You don’t know what challenges lay ahead.

      Let me assure you that we are in this together.  We don’t have faith in our own abilities.  We trust in Christ, who has made us worthy through His work on the cross.

       We are all members of His Body—united in Him.  When one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

       We may have different gifts and callings.  But we all drink from the same Spirit.  No gift is more honorable or prestigious than another!

       And God will use each one of us, no matter our situation or physical limitation.  All are needed to work together to accomplish His Will.

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gifts you have given us to do your work.  Thank you for your Spirit that guides and nourishes us, filling us to overflowing.  Remove any pride or selfishness from us.  We give you all the honor and glory for what you have done for us through the sacrifice of your Son, and for what Your Spirit will do through us to accomplish Your Will.  Give us more love and show us how to be your Church.  Let us never forget that our most important work is to love You and care for one another.  In Christ we pray.  Amen.