For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink of one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.
1 Corinthians 12:12-14
Commentary
It is a profound blessing to recognize and honor the contribution of other Christians and to glimpse the measure of how our brothers and sisters have enriched us. But if we take a step back to view the portrait of Christianity in its entirety, it becomes clear that we are seeing something more like a tapestry. Times and seasons; movements and ministries; men, women and children from every age and compass point blend varying hues and textures into a God-graced foreshadowing of the glory that is to come.
The recognition of mutual blessings leads us to confessing mutual need. We Christians surely have broken Christ’s body; Jesus takes the brokenness under his care and works an intimate necessity into each of our relationships. We cannot bristle at our weakness and dependence. God will not have it any other way. As this age moves toward its closing, he will see to it that we are pressed together in the furnace. But we will know, together, that there is one more in the fire.
Intercession
Heavenly Father, you who have planted in your church treasures of incalculable value, give us the grace to recognize how much we need each other to extend together your kingdom on earth. Allow, Lord, that by loving and respecting our differences we can serve you with greater joy and courage. In Jesus Christ, Your holy Son, Amen.
