A Considerable Person

 

Neh 8:2-4a, 5-6,8-10

1 Cor 12:12-30

Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21

 

 

I’m a great lover of the epic films of the 50s and 60s. One of my favorites is Ben Hur. Apart from the great battle scenes and the chariot race, another, less dramatic scene has always struck me. When Judah Ben Hur returns home to Jerusalem after years in the galleys and then in Rome, he finds his trusted steward, Simonides, can no longer walk due to the torture he received at the hands of the Romans. Through all his suffering, he remained loyal to his master and never disclosed the whereabouts of his fortune. Though he is crippled, the small, frail Simonides had befriended another released prisoner, a giant of a man who was mute. Simonides says to his master, “He has no tongue and I have no legs. For the past three years I have been his tongue and he has been my legs. Together we make a considerable man!”

 

It’s a lot like that with the Body of Christ.

 

Paul’s analogy of the body is an especially strong one. The human body is the most complex, sophisticated mechanism ever devised, and when it is healthy, every cell, organ and system works in complete harmony. When even the smallest part is sick, that harmony is broken. Not so with the Body of Christ.

 

The Body of Christ is made up of incomplete parts - broken parts - none of which can function well without the others. But together we make a considerable person. Individually we may be weak, but together we are strong, because our stronger parts support the weaker, and the weaker parts soften the stronger ones. And all parts are necessary.

 

What would the body be without a head to keep everything working in harmony? A central organizing force that uses faith and reason to help discern God’s will for the body? But just because we aren’t all the head doesn’t mean we aren’t necessary for the survival of the body.

 

What would the body be without eyes?  Eyes open to the reality of others’ lives. Eyes weeping along with a person in pain. Not just seeing Jesus in others but seeing others as Jesus sees them. Who are the eyes of the Body of Christ?

 

Who are the ears? Listening actively. Communicating to the body what others are saying. Hearing the world. Experiencing the music and joy of life.

 

Who are the hands? Touching lives, holding other hands; building, giving, reaching out to others. Hands that are calloused from hard work yet soft from tender touch. 

 

Who are the feet? Walking along with others. Supporting the body, carrying it forward on our journey.

 

I really find it interesting how Paul treats the less presentable parts. The parts we’re a bit embarrassed to show off to the world. The most vulnerable parts, those that cannot protect themselves. Do we ignore them and treat them with less respect? No, we give them more honor. We protect them. We shroud them in mystery. Who are the less presentable parts in this parish, in this world?

 

Some parts of the body are rarely felt and seen, yet without them the body would die. These are the quiet people who pray for the church, who do great deeds in secret. Who offer up their suffering for the salvation of the body. These are the heart of the body.

 

But even the missing parts are felt. Like an amputee who still feels the phantom limb, when parts are missing, we’re incomplete. Some parts are like my good friend Dave, who has been missing lately because of a painful divorce. He doesn’t feel comfortable in the church these days.

 

Some are like Chris, missing because her son died over two years ago, and she still can’t face questions about him from her well-meaning friends. These parts may be missing but we are weakened by their absence. They are still part of the body.

 

And finally, there are parts of the body that are useful, yet unfeeling. They go through the motions on autopilot, showing up every once in awhile, not really knowing why, or following along blindly wherever the rest of the body wants to go. Until they can fill their proper role, we’ll carry them along.

 

Diversity is a big focus these days. We celebrate and honor our differences. They’re what give us our richness and fullness. Each one of us brings something special to the body. Our own unique talents and gifts, all given to us by our creator. But to us, diversity isn’t a new idea. St. Paul taught diversity two thousand years before it was the popular thing to do.

 

But diversity without unity is empty and selfish. Without unity the body cannot function. What if each foot wanted to walk in a different direction? What if one ear only heard this belief and the other a contradictory one? Being different doesn’t mean we each do our own thing without considering the good of the whole. Jesus calls us all to be united in purpose, united in him through faith. There must be a balance between diversity and unity.

 

Some people get so hung up on what they cannot do in the body that they lose sight of the things they can do. Paul says that not everyone is called to be the head, not everyone can be the eyes, or the ears, or the feet. That doesn’t make any of them more or less important to the body. There is no room for ambition in the Body of Christ.

 

And, interestingly, rarely is someone just acting as one part of the Body. We all serve as eyes and ears, hands and feet, heart and soul, oftentimes moving effortlessly from one role to another without thinking as the needs arise. It’s a lot like in other areas of our lives. We all have so many roles to play, and somehow or other we keep them all straight and they all combine in one single person. But all roles are not equally important, and some are more definitively laid out, as Paul describes today.

 

What is your role?

 

Are you an apostle, one who is sent to witness to Christ because you know him personally?

 

Are you a prophet, one who speaks the truth against great opposition, even if it’s just from your own children?

 

Are you a teacher, either by training or as a parent or mentor?

 

Do you do mighty deeds? Just keeping the faith in today’s society is a mighty deed.

 

Are you a healer of the body, or even just a good listener?

 

Do you feed the body by giving assistance to the poor and the hungry?

 

Are you an administrator, doing the thousands of thankless tasks that make the body run smoothly?

 

Do you speak in tongues, praising God in your own unique way?

 

Do you take care of the body? Do you keep it clean and healthy? Give it regular check ups to make sure all the parts are operating as they should. Do you feed it with healthy spiritual food?

 

Do you build it up or do you abuse it? Do you tear it down, always complaining about what you feel is wrong with it instead of looking for solutions to our problems? Do you put down other members, cutting them off from the rest, making them feel unwanted?

 

Just like our physical bodies, the Body of Christ requires constant care and nourishment in order to remain healthy and strong. Every part must be aware not only of what it individually needs but how it affects the entire body. Sometimes that requires individuals to humbly suppress their own desires for the good of the whole. And just as the stronger parts support the weaker ones, the weakest should do everything they can to become stronger.

 

It is through our physical bodies that we experience the good and the bad, joys and sorrows of life. They are the vehicles that God has given us to make our way through life here on earth to eternal life in heaven. Our bodies enable us to join together in relationship with others, so we can journey together. That unity is what gives life purpose and meaning.

 

That unity is the Body of Christ. We’re all in this together, and it's together that we do make a considerable person.