1 Corinthians 12:25 — so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.
Paul has been talking about the Body of Christ, and how there are no members that can be dispensed with or that should be overlooked. It is often said that to lose either the big toe or the pinky toe can have an enormous impact on our mobility and balance, yet by themselves they seem such insignificant parts of the body.
It turns out that God has composed the body of Christ in a similar way - we cannot be divided and expect to function effectively. We cannot be divided and enjoy true fellowship. To drive this lesson home, Paul indicates that every member must have the identical level of care (or perhaps, concern about possible danger or mishap) for every other member of the body, no matter how significant or otherwise they may appear. We may not play favorites in the church. We saw something of this in terms of acceptance previously, but this text extends the concept beyond that. It is one thing to accept someone in Christ, but here we are told that we must care for our brothers and sisters, and care for every one of them, and care for every one of them in an identical manner.
It is, of course, hard to have this care for someone that you really do not know, and it is hard to know someone if they are not committed to the fellowship and present at its meetings. Nevertheless, let's receive the challenge in this text and search our own hearts, asking, "Do I care to the same extent and in the same manner for every member of my local fellowship?" Before we are too quick to answer in the affirmative, we should take an objective look at ourselves. Would someone else in the church, who observed our conduct, confirm that we are equally committed to the well-being of every member, or would they see us in cliques and sub-groups, having little to do with others who are present and stand in equal need of our care?
On the other hand, it should hardly need saying that to be in a fellowship where this level of care exists is a great blessing from the Lord, and something we should value and enjoy enormously!
