1 Corinthians 12:12-14,21-26 (NIVUK)
12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptised by one Spirit so as to form one body – whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 And so the body is not made up of one part but of many….
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honour to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.
Paul uses this effective illustration to describe the church. We are all different body parts, which brought together make up a body. We are different, but every part is important and needed. We are different, but every part is to be valued. Perhaps, rather than calling this week’s value ‘Everybody Counts’, it should have been ‘Everybody(Part) Counts’!
Father, thank you for this reminder that no one is indispensable or less honourable in your family.
Take some time to live this out by praying around our family, taking time to bring as many people as possible to mind throughout the day.
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