The Body Has Lots of Parts.

12 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. 13 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.  

Continuing yesterday’s discussion on the concept of the priesthood of all believers!  Luther make the point so clearly:

“ … there is no true, basic difference between laymen and priests, princes and bishops, between religious and secular, except for the state of office and work, but not for the sake of status. They are all of the spiritual estate, all are truly priests, bishops, and popes. … they are all of one body of Christ the Head, and all members of one another. Christ does not have two different bodies, one temporal, the other spiritual. There is but one Head and one body.”

(To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, in Three Treatises, p12-15)

The analogy of the human body is key to our understanding of how followers of Jesus work.  Each person functions as a key organ.  The body needs all of its parts.  So does Jesus need all of us!  

So Paul uses the body to help us understand that each organ, cell, vain and artery — all of us — are integral to Jesus mission in the world.

There may be different ways that we show our faith. Even in out questions and doubts! Yet each one has a natural place among all the others. We are born with something that enables us to easily share, without much effort.  It is most always tiny little things we do well without even thinking.  It come so naturally that we don’t think it is worth much to anyone else.  But  it is to God!

Think about the people that Jesus chose to walk along side of him.  They weren’t well educated.  They certainly had no social polish.  Their clothes were not the finest.  Their manner of speaking was probably not all that articulate, or eloquent.  They probably didn’t have much in the way of monetary value.  And yet, Jesus chose them to come along side of him and do ministry with Him.

Saul, on the other hand, was a man of privilege.  Well educated in Jewish Law.  A man respected in the high places of both the religious and social world.  He was also a man who spent most of his time bullying and persecuting those who followed Jesus.  Yet, God — The Risen Christ — chose him to carry out Jesus’ mission to the Gentile world.  We know him as Paul today! (See Acts 9 for the whole story)

It takes all kinds to bring this, importantly crucial, message of God’s love to this crazy world.

So I have a challenge for you!  The challenge is to think about what it is that God has given you that is worth sharing.  Don’t look for something astounding! Look for the thing that is easiest for you to do. That comes most naturally.  It took me years to realize that my simple ability to listen was what God gave me to use within his Body.  Just listen!  That’s all!   It is that simple!

If all of us lived with the satisfaction of knowing that our natural ordinary offerings are actually worth something to others, we might not be so hard on ourselves.  And laugh a little more!

Next we will talk about how God uses our little gifts.

12 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. 13 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. 14 Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot would 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. 16 And if the ear would 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. 17 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? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many members, yet one body. 21 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." 22 On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 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; 24 whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, 25 that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 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. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.(1 Cor. 12: 12-31)