Take a moment to read 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 before reading the devotional below.
If you have ever been to just about any Christian type of church, you’ve probably heard them refer to the “body of Christ.” There are two ways we can understand this, both from 1 Corinthians. First, the “body of Christ” is symbolized in communion or the eucharist. The bread or crackers represent his body on the cross as it was broken to pay the penalty for our sins. A second meaning is found in today’s passage: the global group of followers of Jesus. We are, together, the body of Christ.
This metaphor of a body to represent the church, or community of Jesus-followers, helps in a few ways. First, Jesus is referred to as the “head” — he’s the brains of this operation. Second, it helps us see that we do not all have to be the same when we follow Jesus. We are all different parts of one body. As such, we need to recognize not only our importance and place, but also the importance and place of others.
Here’s your freedom for today:
Freedom is found in community.
We’ve already talked about how you can be part of something bigger. The church is a global movement, led and guided by the Holy Spirit in a unique way since Jesus’ time on earth. You have a role to play. But not just you, individually, by yourself. The “you” here is a collective “you” — you (American church), you (African church), you (Latin church) — all of us around the world. Within that, you (Baptists) and you (Pentecostals) and you (Catholics) have a role to play in the body. Anyone who is seeking to follow Jesus represents a part of that collective whole. We spend too much time trying to convince each other that our brand of Christianity is “right” to the expense of the others. Paul is teaching just the opposite here. Maybe we don’t all have to be noses, or arms, or left feet. What would it take for us to not only accept our role, but function as one coherent body?