The Toe Bone's Disconnected from the Foot Bone
I know what I’m about to write will sound ridiculous, but please humor me and keep reading. I’d like for you to try to imagine how hard it would be for you to function properly if your body parts were at odds with one another. What if, for example, your teeth were mad at your tongue because of something it said? What if, in an attempt to even the score, your teeth tried to bite off your tongue every time you started to chew? Picture what would happen if your mouth were upset with your hands, so in retaliation it refused to cooperate, shutting itself whenever your hands tried to feed your body. It’s easy to see how this situation could quickly get out of control. It wouldn’t be long before your stomach starting grumbling because it wasn’t getting what it needed. If this continued for long your body would begin to waste away…all because its members refused to get along.
Division would wreak havoc in a body. Suppose that the left side of your body wasn’t at peace with the right side. This would sure make driving your vehicle interesting, wouldn’t it? Your right hand would have to fight off your left hand just to put the keys in the ignition and start the car. As your left hand pulled up on the gear shift to keep it in park, your right hand would try to yank it down into drive. Your right foot would push the accelerator, but your left foot would slam down on the brake pedal. With your body in such a chaotic state, it would be amazing if you managed to get anywhere without having a wreck.
As ridiculous as such scenarios may seem, similar situations exist far too often in Christ’s spiritual body, the church. Perhaps this is one reason the New Testament so often compares the church to a body (Rom. 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 1:23; 2:16; 3:6; 4:4, 12, 16; 5:23, 30). If a church’s members refuse to cooperate with one another, don’t be surprised if that church begins to waste away. If part of a church isn’t at peace with another part, don’t expect this division to do anything but wreak havoc and cause chaos. If a congregation is comprised of members who are disconnected from one another, no one should be surprised when things start falling apart.
Everyone, though, should be saddened. We’re repulsed at how people could nail Christ’s body to a tree two millennia ago, but yet we don’t seem to mind if Christ’s spiritual body is mutilated today—if it means we get our way. And that is exactly where we’re mistaken; we’re often too concerned with getting our way instead of letting Christ have His way. We’re self-centered instead of Christ-centered. Paul seems to agree with both this assessment of the problem and solution to the problem in Ephesians 2:11-22. In these twelve verses, written to warring Christians, Paul refers to Jesus Christ thirteen times. What’s the solution to the body’s problems, Paul? His response is heard loud and clear: lift up Christ. You see, when Christ is lifted up, the walls that separate people are torn down. When each member of the body is controlled by the Head, the body enjoys unity and the members enjoy peace.
Jesus created peace on the cross. It’s up to us, though, to keep the peace that Jesus created.
~Daniel Hope