No Dissension within the Body

The People of God Set Priorities
Living as a Community of Believers
A Call to Unity

1 Corinthians 12:21-26

The Message

^19-24 But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn’t be a body, but a monster. What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, “Get lost; I don’t need you”? Or, Head telling Foot, “You’re fired; your job has been phased out”? As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way—the “lower” the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach. When it’s a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honor just as it is, without comparisons. If anything, you have more concern for the lower parts than the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn’t you prefer good digestion to full-bodied hair?
^25-26 The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, the parts we see and the parts we don’t. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.

For Reflection

Differences in the the Church have often times led to intolerance.  Perceived differences then become a rational for exclusion.  The hand cuts itself off from the arm and declares itself the only truth.  As Paul reminds us, the hand has little value outside the context of the body. 

We are not valued by God as compared to others.  Rather we are valued by God because we are who God made us valued as we are valued because we are unique.

Pray

that we will bear the suffering of all people.  Pray that we will embrace the need to heal each other.  Pray that we will celebrate the joy of each other's contribution to the Kingdom of God.