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.’ v21
Almost all the sermons on 1 Corinthians 12 that I've listened to have, as far as I can remember, emphasized the diversity of spiritual gifts in the members that make up the church, the body of Christ. The usual elaboration by preachers in church and speakers at retreats alike would be about the need for Christians to recognise different gifts in each member's life and to exercise those gifts for each other's edification in building up the body of Christ.
This morning, as 1 Corinthians 12 was being read out from the pulpit in church, my attention was drawn to an aspect of the body of Christ which is seldom highlighted by preachers. It is the teaching about weaker and less honourable church members, found in verses 22 and 23:
. . . the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honourable we clothe with greater honour.
We don't often notice such people on Sundays. Nor do we realise that they are indispensable to our church. These are members who don't seem very capable or useful to our ministries. They are not serving in any important position in church. Perhaps we may even regard them as "not-so-gifted". As such, these members aren't accorded much honour. In view of their insignificant role in church, they are certainly not well known among us.
Yet they are in our midst, week after week, all year round.
The apostle Paul teaches us that the weak and the less celebrated members in our midst are indispensable. They are to be accorded greater honour and treated with greater respect than the others! The will of God here is that there may be spiritual unity within the body, where members care for one another regardless of one's capability or accomplishments.
But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honour to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. v24, 25Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us look around us on Sunday. Let us look out for the insignificant member. Let us remember: this person is indispensable and honourable.
