1 Corinthians 12:12-21, 26-27
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 bya 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. – NIV84
12
Brothers and sisters united by our common faith:
Most of us know a little Latin, that legendary, albeit dead (unspoken), language that
serves as a building block for so many of our modern languages. E.g., at Christmas we sang,
“Gloria in excelesis Deo” - meaning “Glory in the highest to God.” Some of us attend “Plenary” Board meetings at WLA -- from the Latin “plenus” meaning “full” or “complete.” Sometimes we say something is “Quid pro quo” or “this for that” - an equal exchange.
There’s also a Latin phrase on our coins if you read the “fine print.” It says, “E pluribus
unum.” It means, “From many, one.” It seeks to emphasize that our country is diverse, a melting pot of people from many nations and cultures, but that we set those differences aside to enjoy a more important unity: our identity as Americans.
We can also use E pluribus unum as our theme today because the Lord is emphasizing the
truth that, while we Christians have a diversity of backgrounds and gifts, we are still one in
Christ. Using the human body as a very fitting illustration, the Lord leads us to rejoice that
Christ’s Church is E Pluribus Unum. (1) We need each member’s important gifts (2) We
share our joys and sorrows (3) We use our gifts to serve his Church.
I
God writes through Paul, “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and
though its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized
by one Spirit into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free…” He reminds us that our
unity is not some man-made treaty or accord, but God-made. The Holy Spirit made us one
through Baptism -- no matter our gender, background, income, or race. We all have the same
Spirit in us. He has brought us to faith in Christ, freeing us from our sins through his perfect
life and sacrificial death. The very same Spirit in your heart is at this very moment in the heart
of the person sitting next to you, or that row over there, or even in Thailand.
So while we are many people and each of us is quite different from one another, yet we
are all one in Christ through the Spirit. But these differences of gifts within our oneness are es-
sential and important! God didn’t make us all the same for a reason. Let’s imagine your kitchen clock parts could talk. The second hand would say, “Oh, nobody looks at me much. I wish I
could be the minute hand. It’s much more important than I am. It tells people when dinner
time is and when work and church begin. I just zip around hardly noticed. In fact, a lot of other clocks don’t even have a second hand!” But tell that to the athlete who is being timed in the
100 yard dash, or taking the last shot to win the basketball game at the buzzer, or to the cook
timing a perfect 3 ½ minute soft-boiled egg!
So also each member of Christ’s body, the Church, is important. Oh, certainly we all feel
our inadequacies from time-to-time or wish we had other talents like that other person over
there. But that thinking is not necessary. We can’t all be the same, just like clock parts and
body parts can’t all perform the same function. Paul says, “If they were all one part, where
would the body be?” No, he says, “God has arranged the parts…every one of them, just as he
wanted them to be.” To use a different metaphor, God is the master cook of his Church and
knows what ingredients are just right. You and I fit into his Church recipe just as God wants us
to!
But Paul makes another point: “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!’” We do need to recognize that our own
gifts are important, but also that others’ gifts are just as important!
Go back to the clock. The hour hand says, “I’m the most important part of the clock. I
stand out the most!” But the minute hand says, “No, I’m the most important. I do 60 times the
work you do in one hour!” And the second hand chimes in, “Oh no, wait just a minute, Minute
Hand. I go all the way around for each little move you make!” And the main spring says,
“Don’t get all wound up, you guys. You can’t do anything without me!” Well, you can just
picture the clock falling apart into pieces over that rivalry and boasting. Just so, snobbery is
out of the question in Christ’s Church. Each member is made a member and granted gifts by
God’s design. From called worker to preschool student, from old to young, our gifts are all
equally important!
II
Because we are e pluribus unum in Christ’s Church, we also share our triumphs and disappointments, our good days and bad. Paul says, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with
it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” If the finger gets pinched or the toe gets
stubbed, the whole body feels the hurt. When a fellow Christian undergoes physical or emotional pain, we don’t say, “That’s your problem, not mine.” No, in love, it becomes our concern as well. We will stand ready to use God’s gifts to help others, to “bear one another’s’
burdens.” E.g., we won’t just say we’ll pray for those who are sick, we actually do it! When
one of our number is called to heaven, we support their families with sympathy, compassion,
encouragement, and Christian love!
Similarly, “when one part is honored,” Paul continues, “every part rejoices with it.” If
someone receives an honor, we don’t want to be envious or jealous, but instead we rejoice over
this blessing from God. After all, when we use our gifts and talents, it’s really God working
through us. All the glory is his! What is Paul saying? The precious unity of Christ’s Church
is solidified when we share our joys and sorrows with each other out of love.
III
Then Paul reminds us that since we are e pluribus unum, and since God has given us diverse gifts, we can gladly use them to serve one another. “You are the body of Christ, and
each one of you is a part of it.” None of us is exempt from putting our gifts to use. Youngold, male-female -- God blesses us with gifts of the Spirit. It may be wisdom to lead, ability to
share the good news, teach children, use one’s hands to build or fix or clean, to crunch numbers, to organize, to make beautiful music -- whatever! Those gifts used together make our
congregation run smoothly to serve not just ourselves, but to serve especially Jesus and his gospel. He once said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did
for me” (Mt 25:40).
And if you have feel you have a gift that is latent and not being tapped, by all means, let’s
find a way to make use of it! Please speak with a pastor or council member. More and more
wonderful things are happening all the time at St. Paul’s church and school and preschool because of God’s people who honestly recognize their God-given talents and have come forward
to use them in service to the Lord and his kingdom out of gratitude to Jesus for the forgiveness
of our sins. And if you feel you might have a certain gift, but aren’t yet sure, I want to encourage you to try it. So many of our fellow Christians are glad they overcame their initial fears,
gave it a try, put their gifts to use out of thankfulness to Christ, and now have brought great joy
and blessing to others because of it -- and delighted God as well!
E pluribus unum. Next time you look at a penny, nickel, or dime -- remember this blessing of God to his Church: from many we are one -- one by the grace of Jesus Christ and by the
power of the Holy Spirit!
Amen.