1 Corinthians 12:12-27 The Body of Christ

 

Observation: Paul is writing to a community of Christians in Corinth, and they have had a lot of division and turmoil. Paul needs to remind them that even though they have different spiritual gifts, they are all equally valuable to God, and in fact they are connected. He uses the image of a body--Christ's body--to remind his readers that they need each other. 

Application: Believe it or not, I had already planned to do a sermon series later this summer on the Body of Christ. This isn't the only place in the New Testament, or even in Paul's writings, where this image is brought up. There's a lot to talk about with Paul's inspired metaphor. Today, the thing that stands out for me is verse 26, "if one member suffers, all suffer together with it". The body of Christ is interconnected, and it is not truly healthy while any part if it is hurting. This means my own spiritual and emotional health is important not just to me, but to the whole body of Christ. 

There's a way of looking at families, churches, and other close groups called 'systems theory.' the basic idea is that sickness and health are not just individual, but communal. One family member may be the 'identified patient,' the one suffering from cancer, depression, an addiction, or another ailment. But their condition affects the whole family's behavior, and even when the 'identified patient' becomes healthy again, there will be much work to do for the family to adapt and also become well. It's not enough to treat one part of the system. You have to look at the whole system.

I guess the takeaway today is that being part of a body means our own health--especially spiritual health--is not just our own individual concern. Tending to our own lives, in body, mind and spirit, is a blessing to our families and our churches, too. It's not selfish to take the time and effort to get well in whatever way we need. The body needs us. 

Prayer: God, help me be well. Help me to take my wellness seriously. Heal me when I hurt, and help me to heal the hurts of others as your Spirit gives me ability. In Jesus' name, Amen.