“But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.””
1 Corinthians 12:18-21 NLT
Paul continues with his analogy, using the human body, with all its constituent parts, as a comparison to the body of Christ, the church. In the verses we are considering today, Paul notes the interdependence of the various parts of the human body, something that we take for granted. In fact, if most parts of the body are removed, both they and the body from which they have come will die. Take, for example, a stomach. Not a very nice and visible part of the human body, but if it is removed, then the person will die. Other parts can be removed without a terminal result, and the body will continue to live, although its capabilities will be restricted. All of this is implied in Paul’s analogy, and the same sentiments apply to our churches and fellowships today.
Human beings need each other, whether we like it or not. We look around our congregations, seeing the diverse backgrounds, nationalities, ages, employment statuses, and all, and often wonder how such a motley crew could ever function in the way that God intends. But Paul wrote, “God has put each part just where he wants it”. Right back in Genesis 2:18, we read about God’s plan for Adam. “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him””. With the arrival of Eve, the basis for God’s plan for families was established. Genesis 3:20, “Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live”. Over the page we read, “Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced a man!” Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel. When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground” (Genesis 4:1-2). Families and communities are all parts of God’s plan for human beings. They can, of course, be separated from the body of people of which they are a part, but most will then suffer from loneliness, and their lives will be the poorer for it.
“Father to the fatherless, defender of widows— this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land”.
Psalm 68:5-6.
From these two verses, we note some principles that apply to our churches and fellowships as well as our communities.
Firstly, we note God’s interest in the disadvantaged, such as orphans and widows. James wrote about this in James 1:27, “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you”. In our fellowships, we will have those who are on their own, and not just the widows and orphans. God’s plan is for the church to look after them, because the disadvantaged are still part of the body of Christ.
Secondly, there are prisoners among us, and God has promised to set them free. We are, of course, all redeemed sinners, set free from the consequences of our sins by Jesus’ sacrifice at Calvary. Galatians 3:22, “But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ”. But for the others still bound up by their sins, or those who are prisoners of addictions and other lifestyle choices, God will set them free with our help. And their joy will know no limits.
Thirdly, we read that those who are rebellious and who may even leave their church or natural families will find themselves in a place where they don’t want to be, wallowing in their loneliness and misery. A “sun-scorched land” indeed. Such people may not want to be part of a family, particularly God’s family, but by leaving, they will be the poorer. After all, one day we will be in Heaven, and we are told that the souls there will be countless in number, a big family indeed!
So, in conclusion, we need each other. This is how God has designed us, and going against His design will not end well for us.
Dear Father God. Thank You for Your care and provision, particularly with respect to Your family, the church. Please help us to look out for one another at every opportunity. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 