In Sickness or in Health November 13, 2015

Read Acts 4:32-35

1 Corinthians 12:26      If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Matthew 3:15     Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.

Matthew 5:29     If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

1 Corinthians 12:25     so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.

1 Corinthians 12:27     Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

I never have “just” a headache, or “just” a toothache. If any part of my physical body hurts, I know how difficult it is for my other parts to ignore the pain. God designed my body so that if certain parts are injured, other parts will compensate for the injured part. If I strain my knee, soon my hip starts hurting because it is using more muscle power to pull the weight that my knee usually carries. On the other hand, if I wake up feeling good, it is because all of my body is doing well, and my whole body can celebrate.

And so it is with the church body — as Paul stated in the verse quoted above. In close community, when one of us suffers, others also feel the pain and offer comfort. We are not always suffering, and so we can rejoice and celebrate life when good things are happening.

No matter what condition we are in — suffering or rejoicing — it is better to go through it with the help of others. Together, suffering is more bearable, and rejoicing feels even greater. As a member of Christ’s church, I am committed to helping others and rejoicing with others, whether in sickness or in health.