“Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?”
1 Corinthians 12:14-17 NLT
Paul uses the analogy of a human body to make his point that the body of Christ, His church, is no different. Just as the human body has individual parts, such as hands, feet, eyes, and a nose, so too does the Christian church, both locally and nationally, and even globally, have its own individual parts. Body parts in both cases are essential for the proper functioning of the body of which they are a part. A healthy human body has separate components that work together to fulfil the function God has designed for it. And if we stop to think for a moment, our bodies are amazing in their complexity and function. We have a brain that governs and coordinates the way the rest of the body functions. It processes the signals it receives and responds accordingly through various processes that we are aware of. But there is also a lot going on that we are not mindful of. For example, I’m not currently aware of how my liver functions. But it does work just as God has designed it, detoxifying and filtering to optimise my life. I could go on describing the various functions of the organs in the human body, but that would get beyond the analogy Paul has constructed.
In a church or fellowship, there are various external functions, such as those of a pastor, evangelist, or worship leader. These are very visible ministries of which we are all aware. However, there are also hidden functions, and one of the most important is prayer. We have our intercessors who pray for all aspects of church life, and these are the people who are the lifeblood of the body of Christ. Of course, we must never forget those who work behind the scenes, cleaning and preparing, to make the place where we meet a pleasant and welcoming one. Regarding the Body of Christ, all believers have a common purpose, and that is to look to the Head of the church, Jesus Himself, and allow Him to grow us to be more like Him.
“Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love”.
(Ephesians 4:15-16).
And so we ask ourselves some questions. The first is, do we know our function in our local manifestation of the Body of Christ? Do we feel we are just a pew warmer, or do we have a role that contributes to the growth of our church? Paul’s analogy using the human body as an example makes it clear that we each have a part to play. There are no human body parts that are not there for a purpose, and although our medics can do wonders with alternatives, nothing will replace what God created in the first place. Another question is, do we love our fellow believers? Without love being present, a church will soon start to dysfunction and even die. Sadly, some believers disrupt the local church by trying to stir up trouble, and this might have been a problem in Corinth, as we find when we read the first chapter of 1 Corinthians. Disunity in a church will soon conspire to blow it apart.
To sum up, we pilgrims would do well to assess our role in our local church. If we don’t go to one, then we should find one. Body parts don’t exist in isolation.
Father God, through Your grace and love, You designed a place where Your people are to grow and function, and to become more like Your Son, Jesus. We pray for unity in Your church, and especially in the one in which You have placed us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 