"Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.
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 stop being part of the body.
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?
But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.
If they were all one part, where would the body be?
As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
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!”
On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,
and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty,
while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it,
so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."-1 Corinthians 12:14-26
(1) Affirm that we are all unique individuals (v14-20)
Individualism = honest appreciation that the value of the individual is more important than that of the group; one body, many parts (v14, v20)
(a) Everyone is important (v15-16)
You are important in the Kingdom of God - there is no unimportant person in the kingdom.
Don't compare, you'll become proud or inferior.
We are all created in the image of God, hence we are important.
What's the difference between 'prominence' and 'significance'?
Think about the 'nose' and the 'kidneys' - whether you're prominent or not, you are significant in the eyes of God.
We interpret His words or what we hear differently because He wants to speak to us individually.
(b) Everyone contributes uniquely (v17-20)
'Difference' is different from 'planned difference'.
God does not make mistakes but celebrates the individual.
(2) Recognise that we need one another in a community (v21-26)
We should not be dependent nor independent, we are to be interdependent, cuz God works amongst us.
(a) God wants to teach us 'humility'.
(b) God wants us to 'put our faith to work'.
(c) We need to have empathy in the community (v26) - we need to affirm each other so that we can build the community God wants.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
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