Members of One Body
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
1 Corinthians 12:27, NRSV
A few years ago, the lovable beagle Snoopy in the Peanuts cartoon had his left leg broken. Snoopy himself philosophized about his plight one day while perched on top of his doghouse and looking at the huge white cast on his leg. “
My body blames my foot for not being able to go places. My foot says it was my head’s fault, and my head blamed my eyes.... My eyes say my feet are clumsy, and my right foot says not to blame him for what my left foot did....
” Snoopy looks out at his audience and confesses, “
I don’t say anything because I don’t want to get involved.
”
Paul introduced the metaphor of the members of the church using the human body and how each part depends on each other. So it is with the church, the body of Christ, in which God has arranged that certain gifts be assigned to certain persons and each part serves its God given function. To be successful, we all must play our part and give our best effort. Without members doing their part, the Body of Christ suffers.
Often the problem with many Christians is that we hear the word of the Lord, but we do not respond to it. We know what Jesus wants us to do, but we think that obeying may be “too uncomfortable,” “too extreme” or “we don’t have the time.” We leave it for others to do. We forget that our part is integral and, without each of us, the body will suffer.
Let us each resolve that when we all get back together at St. Martin’s, we will step up, find our place to serve, and allow the grace of God to work through our lives to bless one another and the ministry we share together in Christ’s name. Amen.
