Spectacular Analogy

1 Corinthians 12:12-30

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 one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. ¹⁴ For the body does not consist of one member but of many. ¹⁵ If the foot should 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 should 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 be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 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 parts, 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 parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, ²⁴ which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, ²⁵ that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶ If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 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 miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and 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 with tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

When I was 12 I broke my little toe. It was excruciating. My whole foot turned blue and was swollen. And, being 12, I carried on like my whole foot had been amputated. But to this day I can remember how much that hurt and how much that stupid little toe impacted my life. Up until that moment I had probably never even given that toe a thought. I remember my mom sitting there on the floor, examining that foot as I cried and complained. She just looked at it and said, “Hmmmm. Well, it will heal and there really isn’t anything anyone can do about it. You’ll just have to figure it out.” She wasn’t being cruel. She was realistic and knew that a trip to the ER wasn’t going to help. I hopped around for a few weeks and it was fine. Did I learn not to go barefoot? No.

Every time I read this particular passage about the Body of Christ, I think about that little toe. I know – not very sanctified of me. But it was such a graphic (and personal) illustration of the beauty of Paul’s analogy here. As believers in Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are drawn inextricably together as one. No part of the body is more important or less important than another and the condition of each part affects the condition of the whole. It is elegantly simple.

This reminder to treat one another with respect and dignity is never a waste of time. I think we daily forget to treat one another well. Each of us harbors hidden resentments or hubris against those around us and that’s like a finger declaring one of those toes is unnecessary. Or an eye living as thought the liver doesn’t matter. Our bodies are a unit, and so is God’s Church. We’re in this together because the blood of Jesus makes us ALL His Bride.