3^rd Sunday after Epiphany – January 24, 1010

It doesn’t take long when studying the Small Catechism to realize that one of Martin Luther’s favorite phrases must have been “What does this mean?” After all, following each of the commandments you find, “What does this mean?” If you had to do memory work from the catechism when you were younger, this probably rings a bell, “I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth. What does this mean?” Even after each of the petitions to the Lord’s Prayer we see, “What does this mean?” It is a good question, and Luther does a good job of answering it because he found the answers not in his own ingenuity and creativity, but he found them in the Word of God.

What does it mean? That seems like a fitting question to use as a theme for our sermon this morning. And, as we seek the answer, let us find it not in what we think, but on the basis of God’s Word. So, listen to God’s Word recorded for us by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12. As you do, ask yourself, what does this mean?

1 Corinthians 12:12-21,26,27 - ¹² The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴ Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 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!” ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. ²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

So, what does it mean? In reality, that isn’t all that difficult of a question to answer. These words of God are fairly self-explanatory. Paul, using the example of the human body, illustrates how Christians with their many different spiritual gifts can work in harmony with one another. In this diversity the wisdom of God is revealed. For, just like the many parts of the human body function together as a unit; so it should be in the church.

Well, there you have it! Should we say, “Amen,” and be done with it? Is that all there is? Should we make this the shortest sermon you have ever heard pastor preach? I suppose we could, that is, if you can honestly tell me that you think we are doing a good job of putting these words into practice. Let me put it to you another way, if this is such an easy section of Scripture to understand, why are we finding it so difficult to do?

Let’s break it on down. “¹⁴ Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?” The context of these words of Paul is a discussion about spiritual gifts. There were those in Corinth who seemed to have a foot-and-ear complex. That is, they said or were told that they were not important. They felt like they didn’t have anything to offer the church, or maybe that they weren’t even part of the church. On the other hand, there were those who had an eye-and-hand complex. They boasted that they did not need anyone else. They looked down on others. But Paul wanted to show them that they all needed each other. So he goes on to say, “¹⁸ But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 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!”

When it comes to the different parts of the human body, no part can afford to become independent. When a part of the human body becomes independent, you have a serious problem that could lead to sickness and even death. In a healthy human body, the various members cooperate with each other and even compensate for each other when a crisis occurs. But the instant any part of the body says to any other part, “I don’t need you!” it begins to weaken and die and create problems for the whole body. This is true within the Church as well.

So, which one are you? Are you one with a foot-and-ear complex, thinking you have nothing to offer? Or, are you one with an eye-and-hand complex, thinking you don’t need anyone else. I’ll admit that sometimes your pastor may fall into this trap. Sometimes we pastors fall into the trap of thinking that we’re the ones who hold it all together. What would they do without us?!?! We become puffed up with pride at how well we are doing. Or, on the other end, we become so discouraged at the task of bringing so many people together that we say “What’s the use?”

Members of the congregation, you can fall into this trap too. The devil uses the differences among us in many ways, as he tries to convince us that we really don’t have anything to offer the body, or he puffs us up with pride to make us feel we are the most important members of the church. Yet, these might not even be his greatest deception. His greatest deception might just be getting us to take on characteristics of both. You know what I mean! It’s the attitude displayed with thoughts like, “shouldn’t someone else do it, I just don’t have time;” “it really isn’t fair that we should be the ones to do the majority of the work;” “someone else can take care of;” “it’s about time for someone else to step up;” “I’ve put my time in;” “I’ve got to many things that I want to do.” Still, whatever way you slice it, each attitude demonstrates that damning thing called sinful selfishness which lies deeply rooted in each of our sin-filled hearts.

So frequently we get these crazy ideas that what we do, or don’t do, is of no consequence to anyone else; or that we are our own person and we can do whatever we full well want, even if at the expense of the body of Christ. But it’s just not true. Just like the hand or the foot can’t go off and do whatever it wants without affecting the body, so the Christian cannot either. We need each other. Likewise, we need to be reminded that there is no place for coveting a “higher” role or despising a “lower” role. There is no place for division. Instead, Christians will work in the spirit of contentment and cooperation. That’s what Paul is describing here, and when we see how poorly we have worked together as a body, we see that we desperately need Jesus.

That’s why this passage also shows us that we need Jesus. Notice how Paul began this whole section, “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” It isn’t pastor that holds it together! It isn’t the “prominent” or “active” members either. What holds this body together; what unites us all is that we have a common connection to Christ. Christ is the one who holds it together as the head.

You see, we are not our own, we were bought at a price. “Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior…Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:23,25-27).

We know Christ, each one of us. We know his self-sacrificing love. The head,

We must focus on the unselfish love of Christ, that gave himself up for us sot aht we would be his own. You hear that, we are not our own, we were bought at a price, therefore honor God with your body. Here is one way we do it. We work together in the body of Christ to extend his kingdom. What does it mean? These words mean that we need each other. We need Jesus. Amen.

That power is like the working of his mighty strength, ²⁰ which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, ²¹ far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. ²² And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.