When One Hurts, All Hurt
Read: 1 Corinthians 12:14–26
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 22–24; Luke 12:1–31
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 22–24; Luke 12:1–31
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.—1 Corinthians 12:26
When a coworker called in sick due to extreme pain, everyone at the office was concerned. After a trip to the hospital and a day of bed rest, he returned to work and showed us the source of that pain—a kidney stone. He’d asked his doctor to give him the stone as a souvenir. Looking at that stone, I winced in sympathy, remembering the gallstone I had passed years ago. The pain had been excruciating.
Isn’t it interesting that something so small can cause a whole body so much agony? But in a way, that’s what the apostle Paul alludes to in 1 Corinthians 12:26: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it.” Throughout chapter 12, Paul used the metaphor of a body to describe Christians around the world. When Paul said, “God has put the body together” (v. 24), he was referring to the entire body of Christ—all Christians. We all have different gifts and roles. But since we’re all part of the same body, if one person hurts, we all hurt. When a fellow Christian faces persecution, grief, or trials, we hurt as if we’re experiencing that pain.
My coworker’s pain drove him to get the help his body needed. In the body of Christ, someone’s pain ignites our compassion and moves us toward action. We might pray, offer a word of encouragement, or do whatever it takes to aid the healing process. That’s how the body works together. —Linda Washington
Lord, please give peace to those who are persecuted or in pain. Your family is my family too.
We’re in this together.
INSIGHT: Paul often uses the metaphor of the body to represent the church (see Romans 12:3-5; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:12-13; Colossians 1:18; 2:19). In today’s passage he makes the observation that we’re not only to share each other’s pain but also to rejoice in the blessings other believers receive. Surprisingly we may find that more difficult.
Do you find it easier to share in others’ pain or in their joy?
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