The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honourable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honourable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honour and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honoured, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.
1 Corinthians 12:21-27
The parts are mixed together in terms of usefulness to the point where we ought to realise all these parts are needed; in the body and in the church. There was once lots of talk about the vestigal parts or organs of the body that were no longer needed. Left over bits from the evolutionary process. Most scientists know that idea has been debunked long ago. The classic examples of appendix and “tail” bone have been shown to have a use within the body. Imagine the debate among the body parts themselves. What are you doing here “smelly foot”? I don’t like sharing this body with you. Go on push off and get out of here. We don’t need you. Can you imagine it? Well, yes we can because we know we do things in ignorance on occasions. But when we know how important the foot is to us we wouldn’t dream of casting “foot” out just because he smells. We know why he smells and so we would wash him. Of course we would have to ask “hands” to do it if they would condescend to do so.
But what about the even more objectionable parts than “foot”; “arm pit” or “butt” or some of the other less honourable or less dignified parts? Do they really belong in the body? You better believe it. Trying living life without “foot”, “armpit” or “butt”. What about “appendix” or “tail bone”? Darwin suggested the appendix was a left over organ from when we were primates and it had a role to play in the digestion of leaves. Silly man. Indeed now we know it has a role to play in the immune system of the body. Which is why, it can get inflamed and needs to be removed. It is also believed the appendix has a vital role to play in the maintenance of flora and the right bacteria in the gut. I think I will hang up on to my appendix and pay it respect.
What about “tail bone”? No despite Mr Tail Bone’s name he has got nothing to do with us once having had a tail. I am not a relative of a monkey, no matter how distant. I will let you decide for yourself. So what purpose has our “tail bone” got. If you are without a tail bone you would have great difficulty standing, sitting and making bowel movements and especially doing pelvic floor exercises in Pilates. Your tailbone is the place where the muscles which help you do all the above attach. There is no tail there neither has there ever been one. Why is Paul talking about the less dignified or less honourable parts? God put the less honourable parts together with parts paid great honour. Why? So we would learn to live in harmony. And I will let into a secret, Paul is not really talking about our body parts. It’s harder to live in harmony with someone so different from you. Easy to feel proud and tend to look down on a lesser part of the body.
Learn some humility and learn to honour the lesser members as well. Oh Paul is not really talking about butts and armpits and appendices and tail bones. He’s talking about the ones who work in the body in a lowly role and are overlooked, looked down on or despised. Be careful this following story might happen to you.
I love hearing this story of a church that invited a preacher with a big reputation to come and speak to them. It must have been before the days of Google because they didn’t know what she looked like. Not only could she preach powerfully but she could sing well too. They were still waiting for the woman to arrive when it was time to start the service. There was a woman in the front of the church who looked like she slept on the streets and got her clothes from a dumpster, but who when she heard the problem said she could sing. There was no way the organisers were allowing that to happen and they made it clear she would not be singing in their church any day of the week. The speaker was over half an hour late and so they decided they would get started anyway. Again the “dumpster” woman offered her services and was again rejected out of hand. They waited over 40 minutes and finally decided to substitute another person to take the guest speaker’s place. The leader of the service got up and made the announcement that the speaker was not going to be able to make it and someone else was going to share their testimony. When the “dumpster” woman heard mention of the guest speaker’s name she got to her feet and said but I am here. She walked forward and proceeded to preach on 1 Cor12:22-27 – the weaker unmentionable parts. How embarrassing! But I bet they got the message. Do you?
The human body is the only machine for which there are no spare parts.
Hermann M. Biggs
The trouble with having a body is that people know it’s where you hang out and you don’t get any privacy.
Robert Brault
Don’t take life too seriously because you’ll never get out alive.
Josh Shippe