The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12 NLT
The New Testament uses several pictures to describe what it means to belong to the church of Jesus Christ. Paul details one picture in his letter to the Corinthians. He says that the people of God in community is like a body made up of important individual parts.
Just as different parts of a body contribute to its overall health, so too does each member of the church play a vital role. As a physical body has all kinds of different members – some you can immediately see and some you do not, but all are vital – so the church is the body with all kinds of different parts, and every part matters. The finger doesn’t say to the toe, “I don’t need you,” and the leg doesn’t say to the arm, “I don’t need you.” The lung doesn’t say to the heart, “I don’t need you.” We recognize that for the body to be healthy, every part is needed, the ones that seem very large and apparent and the smaller ones that are not so readily noticeable. For thriving health, it is important that all parts work together.
The human body is amazing. Each part depends on the other parts. We have all experienced how something simple can affect other parts of the body. Just recently one of my dear friends, a young 45-year-old father, died from an infected tooth that turned into sepsis and went through his bloodstream to his heart. Everyone was in shock because no one thought a broken tooth could be so serious. But every part works together. Every part is important, but no part is independent. The church is also amazing. The health of one part affects the whole body. All parts must work together so that the body can function well as a whole. The church is the body of Christ. He is our head. Every member, every part matters. Everyone is needed in the church because each individual's health, unique gifts, strengths, and perspectives are essential for the body of Christ to function effectively and grow spiritually.
So it is no surprise that Paul often describes the church as Christ's body. Followers of Jesus are interrelated with every other person in the body of Christ. Though each believer will be unique, each believer is also dependent on the rest. Like interrelated body parts, church members must work together in unity and oneness of purpose to help bring about the coming of God's kingdom. We can serve, give, pray, and work together to grow healthier and impact our world. When we work together, we become a full-service body for a broken world in need. And we have personal satisfaction that we will get no other way.
- Jesus, Your body, the church, is wonderfully made. I praise You for making each one of us a part of Your body. May we work together to bless each other and your world. Amen.