Eyes are great. They can see all kinds of things, help you avoid danger, let you see your friends and family, and basically they are invaluable. You would hate to lose your eyes. Think about this: if two eyes are good, and in fact, better than one eye or no eyes, how about three eyes? Or even four eyes? Maybe we could replace your ears with eyes and then you could have amazing peripheral vision!Your response might be, "What about hearing then? I don't really want to be deaf either." That's exactly Paul's point in 1 Corinthians 12:12-26. He uses the human body as an example of the unity and diversity of the Church, the Body of Christ. The Church is one body in Jesus Christ, but yet each of its members are individuals and have been gifted uniquely by the Holy Spirit (v. 11).
As Paul gives the illustration of the human body, he stresses the point that the body is a unity, yet there is great diversity (vv. 12-18). In our human body, there are all sorts of parts. Many look radically different than each other. An ear never looks like an eyeball, even though it is a part of the same body. In the body of Christ, there are different ethnic groups represented (v. 13; cf. Rev 5:9-10). The body is one, but there are different members (vv. 14-17). Each member has a specific function in the body. Having four eyes and no ears leaves us without any hearing. So in the Body of Christ, God has placed each member of the body in the place where God wants them to be (v. 18).
We may wonder why there have to be differences. Maybe some people rub us the wrong way. Maybe some people don't seem to fit in. Maybe some people just make more work for the rest of us. Verses 19-26 show us that differences are important, and are even essential. If everybody was like you or like me, we would have a lot of problems! The human body, like the Body of Christ, needs each one of its different members (vv. 19-21). Some parts seem weaker than others, but the body still needs them (v. 22). I don't know that a lung is all that pretty, but if you don't have it, you're in big trouble! Along the same lines, some of our body parts we keep covered (and rightfully so) because we view them as being dishonorable. Actually, by paying special attention to them, we are giving them special honor (vv. 23-24). In the body, the stronger parts care for the weaker parts and support the strong parts in turn (v. 25). For example, your bones protect your heart and lungs, and your heart and lungs help sustain your bones. Finally, when one part of your body suffers, your whole body suffers (v. 26). When I have a cold, my whole body feels dreadful, even though it's really only my nose that's uncomfortable.The correspondence to the Body of Christ is so clear Paul doesn't even explicitly make application in this passage. How we view the church is essential. Jealousy, disunity, and strife in the church demonstrate that our thinking has not been brought into line with God's Word in this area.
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