If you were to take a general anatomy quiz where you were to list different parts of the body, most of us could come up with at least a dozen or more. Heart, lungs, stomach, brain, arms, legs, etc. These are all very important parts of the body. If someone were to make a play or movie where different body parts become animated, people might clamor for the role of the brain, the eyes, the heart. How about the otoconia, the pineal gland, or the sphincter of Oddi? Are these body parts you would know to put on the quiz, or body parts you would consider playing for the anatomy movie? We might not consider them too important, but if they are not acting right, we will certainly know! The same is true with the Body of Christ, as we shall see in our Scripture for today.
In his first letter to the early Christian Church in Corinth, Paul addressed certain problems they were having. One issue that he dealt with was how some members were thinking that their spiritual gifts, and thus themselves, were more important than other spiritual gifts. They were thinking that they were more important within the Body of Christ, and more important in their church. Paul needed to speak on this issue, and to set the Corinthian believers straight. So he used the analogy of the human body with that of the Body of Christ.
Every part of the human body serves a purpose and is important. In that imaginary play where the body parts become “alive”, one role that might be greatly sought after might be the eyes. They are an important body part. Women use eye makeup to highlight and draw attention to their eyes. We use special safety goggles at times to keep the eyes especially safe from injury. Naturally we consider the heart important. We have many medical tests for the heart, and we consider it the picture of love.
In a similar way, believers in Corinth were considering some spiritual gifts as more important, and thus better, than other ones. Even though spiritual gifts are distributed by the Holy Spirit, and He decides who receives what, these believers were seeking the gifts they felt more important, more honored. They felt the other gifts could be gotten rid of, and those who had those gifts as less important in the church. Paul compared the spiritual gifts with that of human body parts. The Apostle said that the hands are not more important than the feet, nor are eyes more important than ears. Each has a specific job to do, and are equally important. Without them the body would not function as well.
What about those body parts mentioned earlier, the otoconia, the pineal gland, and the sphincter of Oddi? If we are thinking like some in the Corinthian Church, we might say that since we have never heard of them, and don’t ever see them, then they are not as important as the heart, the eyes, or the lungs. Believe me, if we didn’t have these, or they weren’t acting properly, we would notice! Otoconia are tiny rock-like crystals within our inner ear, and when they are not positioned properly we have severe vertigo. The pineal gland is about the size of a grain of rice, and is deep within our brain. It helps to regulate our sleep cycle. The sphincter of Oddi is a small muscle that controls the flow of digestive juices from the liver and pancreas into the small intestine. Each of these plays a vital role in our body. Without them we would have trouble.
It is true that the pastor and Sunday School teachers are important, along with the musicians. They are noticeable, like the heart or the brain. They are needed to keep the church functioning. However, the janitor, those who work in the church kitchen, and those who keep the church vehicles running are just as important, just like the pineal gland. We all know how out of sorts we get if we can’t sleep properly for several days!
Every Christian plays an important role in the Body of Christ. We may have different cultural backgrounds, different gifts, and different personalities, but we are filled with the same Spirit, and belong to the same Body of Christ. He decides which spiritual gifts each one has, and they are all equally important for His Body, the Church, to function properly.
We should be more like the Amish in this regard. Every so often the Amish will have a barn-raising day. We might think that a building as big as a barn would take weeks to build. Not with the Amish. They get together and put one up in one day because each man, woman, and child has a specific job or task to do, and they do it, cooperating with each other. They are able to build that barn within one, maybe two days at the most. Each one is doing their job, and no one is thinking they are more or less important! That is how the Body of Christ should function.
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