Spiritual Anatomy
Notes
Transcript
Why are toes important?
Why are toes important?
One of the smallest parts of the human body is the toe. Most of us have 10 of them and likely take for granted their importance.
The toes provide support and balance to a person when they are standing, walking, running or doing anything on their feet. When a person takes a step, and force is exerted to each foot, the toes help to bear the weight from a person’s body. The toes hug the ground so that a person can maintain balance when they are doing anything on their feet.
Without the toes, a foot doctor explains that a person is very unlikely to walk naturally and balanced. While it may be possible to walk, run and stand without toes, it may be very difficult for someone. The toes allow for a person to be on their feet naturally.
But your toes only play a small part in the act of walking:
Walking is a more skillful undertaking than we generally appreciate. By balancing on just two supports, we exist in permanent defiance of gravity. As toddlers amusingly demonstrate, walking is essentially a matter of hurling the body forward and letting the legs run to catch up. A pedestrian in motion has one foot or the other off the ground for as much as 90 percent of the time, and thus engages in constant unconscious adjustments of balance. In addition, our center of gravity is high—just above our waists—which adds to our innate tippiness.
Your toes, feet, ankles, lower and upper legs, knees, hips, back, midsection, arms and chest, and even your head all work together to allow us to take steps.
If one of those is absent or not functioning properly, it can have varying effects on our ability to walk, even down to your toes.
In Paul’s discourse on Spiritual Gifts, he uses the human body to provide one of the clearest and most helpful analogies for how God has designed His church (those who have trusted in Him) to function.
But just like with our bodies, there are times when parts of our body do not function like they are supposed to.
We are going to look at 2 common aliments that keep the body of Christ from being all that we were designed to be.
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 21 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.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
Two Harmful Aliments
Two Harmful Aliments
1) Insignificance
1) Insignificance
Let’s look first at the feelings of insignificance.
15 If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
It seems like some in the Corinthian church were feeling like the ways in which they were gifted were insignificant or useless in comparison to other gifts.
There are often a few gifts that get a lot of attention in church circles, the particular ones stressed, depends in large part on the denomination.
Whether is it teaching or prophesy, or healing, or leadership or something else, there is a tendency in the church (for thousands of years now) to overemphasize certain gifts
This results that other gifts begin to seem less and less important to the church, and those gifted in those ways begin to feel insignificant and useless.
Churches build cultures around certain gifts that in turn create groups of people in the church that either struggle to find ways they can serve or just settle in and don’t seek out how God HAS made and equipped them to serve.
Paul gives an odd and helpful image to illustrate the problem with this attitude.
If all human beings were was just a big eye rolling around from place to place how would we be able to hear.
Likewise, if the whole body were an ear then there would be no way to smell things.
There is no insignificant, unimportant, or inconsequential member of the body.
2) Independence
2) Independence
The second aliment of the body mentioned by Paul is “independence”:
21 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.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it,
Andy Gullahorn wrote a song about the time he cut his toe off with a push mower.
He tells the story as if the toe was longing to be independent of the other toes, to feel the sunshine on all sides.
He had roast beef for his last meal
His brothers went to market and to home
He was cut off from his family
Because he wanted to find freedom on his own
He saw his big chance for an escape
In helicopter rotating blades
And said goodbye to the pigsty
Quick as a guillotine he was gone
It is a funny song because the idea of a toe being free from the foot is ridiculous isn’t it?
A toes cannot exist apart from the body.
That is Paul’s message in vv. 21-24
You cannot be a lone ranger toe!
We need the gifts and talents of one another to be a healthy body.
This permeates American church life, the belief (whether we are willing to admit it or not) that we do not need the ministry of the whole body is a lie we have bought into to the detriment of our own walks and the ministry of the church.
But Paul doesn’t leave us sick or fractured.
Like a good Dr. Paul points to three remedies to help cure or prevent our aliments.
Three Potent Remedies
Three Potent Remedies
1) Realize the VALUE of our DIVERSITY.
1) Realize the VALUE of our DIVERSITY.
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many.
18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.
One of the problems Paul seems to be dealing with in this letter is the conflict over the value of certain gifts in the church compared to others.
The more up-front gifts and the more miraculous gifts were being stressed to the point that those who were gifted in those ways didn’t feel as if they were needed or useful to the body.
Perhaps Paul had received something from them seeking his counsel.
Again, the connection we can make 2000 years later is oddly frustrating (we still have really figured this thing out.
But there is a culture in modern churches (ours included) where if you aren’t a preacher, teacher, evangelist, or musician, then you are not serving the Body and Mission of Christ.
The church of today, if it we were to personify it, would be a disembodied head with a really big brain and a great singing voice.
Diversity in the Body of Christ allows for us to serve one another and those around us in our everyday lives more fully and completely.
Each and every person plays a vital role in the health of the body.
No gift, no position, and no person is more valuable than the others.
God, in His perfect wisdom and sovereignty, created and empowers each of us with valuable ways to serve His Kingdom.
You are not useless, you are needed.
You are not irrelevant or insignificant, you are valuable.
2) UNITY makes our DIVERSITY meaningful.
2) UNITY makes our DIVERSITY meaningful.
13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
The conflict that existed in Corinth was over the attention given to certain gifts over and against others.
This led to both the attitude that certain gifts/people weren’t all that important to the health and growth of the church.
And the attitude that because of my gifts, I am not really in need of the gifts and/or help of others.
This points to a drastic misunderstand of the nature and purpose of the Church.
The church is a group of people who are diversely gifted, with diverse backgrounds, and diverse passions, who are redeemed and united together by our shared faith in Christ and empowered by the Spirit to serve.
The diversity of our gifts, our backgrounds, and our passions as a people is made meaningful when, and only when, we exist in unity with one another.
Paul makes this point abundantly clear here as well as in Ephesians 4
1 Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
1 Corinthians: An Introduction and Commentary by Leon Morris
No matter how important any one member may be, there can be no body formed from it alone. That would be a monster, not a body. But in fact, as things are, there are many parts, and together they make up but one body.
Unity in diversity is what makes the body of Christ glorious.
3) UNITY flourishes in humble SELF-FORGETFULNESS.
3) UNITY flourishes in humble SELF-FORGETFULNESS.
1 Corinthians 12:24–26 (ESV)
24 But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
God arranged the members of the body with all their diversity so that there was a mutual dependence and a harmonious unity, the result of which was that its parts should have equal concern for each other.
Paul uses the Greek word “merimnaō” (merry-em-now) that is translated “care” or “concern”. But the word can also be translated “be anxious” or “have anxiety” toward something.
He intentionally uses a strong word because he wants to communicate the kind of concern we should have toward one another.
It isn’t just a “let me know if you need anything” concern, but a concern as if the other person is your liver or left arm.
You can’t live without your liver and most people wouldn’t want to live without their left arm.
But we try and live our lives without the essential parts of the body.
Without concern for others and without their concern for us.
What does that “concern” look like?
26 So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
Shared concern, unified care for one another, in the hard moments and in the joyful moments.
Unity of the body both in suffering and honor.
I love drawing an analogy out, and it seems Paul does too.
When one part is hurting the whole is hurting.
Here is the point: God has uniquely and diversely created us, equipped us, saved us, and empowered us to serve one another and the word in a community of unity and mutual concern for one another.
There is no place for self-centeredness in the Body of Christ.
1 cor 12 12-26
12 You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you’re still one body. It’s exactly the same with Christ. 13 By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized.) Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain—his Spirit—where we all come to drink. The old labels we once used to identify ourselves—labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free—are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive. 14 I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn’t just a single part blown up into something huge. It’s all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. 15 If Foot said, “I’m not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don’t belong to this body,” would that make it so? 16 If Ear said, “I’m not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don’t deserve a place on the head,” would you want to remove it from the body? 17 If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? 18 As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it. 19 But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn’t be a body, but a monster. 20 What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. 21 Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, “Get lost; I don’t need you”? Or, Head telling Foot, “You’re fired; your job has been phased out”? 22 As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way—the “lower” the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach. 23 When it’s a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honor just as it is, without comparisons. 24 If anything, you have more concern for the lower parts than the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn’t you prefer good digestion to full-bodied hair? 25 The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, 26 the parts we see and the parts we don’t. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.