Tuesday, July 11, 2023 – 1 Corinthians 12:12-31
Ever noticed how most groups—schools, businesses, clubs, and even families—are organized around power and position? In almost every group there’s someone in charge telling other people what do to. Sometimes people are in charge because they have the skills and experience; sometimes it’s because of the connections they have, or even their place in the family. Sometimes it’s because of their charisma or how charming they are.
But the Bible tells us that God has organized his people, the “Body of Christ,” very differently. From almost the very beginning, God’s people, the church, have been a diverse and multicultural family including men, women, Jews, Gentiles, and people of every possible status within the Roman Empire and beyond!
You can imagine how such a diverse group of people would be hard to hold together as one community. The possibilities for factions and divisions are endless! That’s why God also organized his people in such a way that they need each other to accomplish what God has called them to do.
Like the human body, we as God’s family are a diverse and interdependent organism. Each of us has been given spiritual gifts that the rest of us need in order to grow, thrive and serve the world around us. God’s family has been designed to be a community of mutual service. As the apostle Paul says in his letter to the Roman church, “outdo one another in showing honor.” (Romans 12:10, NRSV) If there’s to be any competition, it should be in how we serve each other.
Jesus told his followers that whoever wishes to become great must become a servant, and whoever wishes to be first must be slave of all. (Mark 10:43-44). This is how Jesus lived. And since we have been created in his image, this is how we are called to live.
Questions for reflection:
- Who in your life has influenced you the most in a positive direction? What was it that they did? How did it impact you? Where have you impacted others in a similar way?
- Can you think of a time when you experienced the power of the church community in your life? What was it like?
Bible passages for further exploration: Mark 10:41-45, Luke 22:24-27, Romans 15:1-6