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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. (1 Corinthians 12:12-31a New Revised Standard Version Bible)
A Blessed and Joyous Tuesday to you, ConCafe Family! May the awesome love of God shower you with peace and joy that you can share with all who need it in marvelous ways, beloved Reader. Please pray for our nation, for the world, for those affected by natural disasters, terrorist attacks, life's unexpected challenges. Pray for the sick, the lonley, the lost, the perishing, and those who seek a better way to live; and pray that God use you to be a light to the lost. I ask prayers for my wife, Nellie, as we found out her knee replacement surgery will be next Monday, the 24th. Pray for her (my) nerves and that God's Holy Spirit bring a victory to her on that day and the days that follow. Pray for one another. Pray for your needs.
As a pastor of many churches for many years, I wish I could say I had not heard nor seen it all. I know I reallly haven't, but I'm very close. I wish I could tell you I've never seen a fight in a church, and that in none of my churches there was ever a cross word shared by one church member to another. I pray that I could tell you that all meetings of the churches were joyous meetings of kindred spirits ready to embrace all ideas and viewpoints and lasted only ten minutes, and this after seven minutes of hugging and kissing. I wish I could also say that evil never finds its way into the doors of the church. (Please remember that the first demon Jesus drove out was in a church! Yes, it was the chairperson of the finance committee in that synagogue! Okay, I joke about the church office, but it was true that the first evil spirit thrown out of the church was a demon. Think about that)
I'm also quite sure that the Apostle Paul could say the same thing. And well, he does, in a way, through this passage. He is, at heart, an encourager of those whom he has led to Christ, and so in this passage he is describing the reality of how the Church is composed of many members, but still is just one body. And he compares a human body with its many members, to the Body of Christ. There is one Spirit, by which we all were baptized and brought into the Body, and because of that our former identities or labels were done away with; Jews, or Greeks no more; just believers in the Lord Jesus. Slaves? Free? No more; we are all attached to Jesus in Whom we find true freedom. In the same way, the Body of Christ, whatever we do or however it is we serve, we do it for God. And we should not let that serve to further divide us. Paul says, the foot cannot put itself down because it is not a hand. The ear cannot say, because I am not an eye, I don't belong to the body. And he further states, the whole body cannot be one eye because where would the smelling happen? And in the same way, if the body were a giant ear, where would the hearing be? Paul says, God was in charge of forming the body in the way it is, and in the same way, God formed the Body of Christ. All matter. All are valuable. All should love one another, and seek to better relationships with each other. What beautiful, poetic language when he says, "If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it." And I celebrate and thank God, that in all of the churches I served, in spite of the natural bickering and disagreements that came, true shared suffering and rejoicing was common and needed.
Paul further explains that the one Holy Spirit has appointed apostles, prophets, teachers; then works of power, gifts of healing, ways of helping, styles of leadership, and different manners of communication; all for the common work of God's Kingdom. Paul sums it up; whatever your gift, whatever your service, keep seeking to builld one another up, and seek ways to become even better and more versatile in the ways you work for the good of God's people and work on the earth.
How did this passage hit you? I pray that if it made you realize that you may have been party to a disagreement or discussion that did not ultimately build up the church and maybe offended some members, you can be forgiven. If you find that it made you realize your gifts are not like those you wanted to have, work and "strive for the greater gifts," as Paul wrote at the closing of this passage. I would add that the part of that last verse says, "And I will show you a still more excellent way." Bring it, dear Lord! We are ready!
PRAYER: Awesome God, create in us a new heart and one that knows how to forgive and knows or learns how to ask for forgiveness. Help us appreciate the gifts we have as well as to learn how to appreciate the gifts of brothers and sisters from our communities whose gifts are different than mine. And help us seek to hold each other in prayer, love, appreciation, and devotion so that our Body grows; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Find someone from your community of faith and ask for forgiveness or show forgiveness.
Receive my blessings of joy and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
