Rally Day Needed Thumbnail

The Catcher’s Nail

I heard about a young man who played on his high school baseball team as the catcher who had an injury before a big game against his schools rival. The morning of the game, he was getting ready at home and tripped on his younger siblings toy. As he was falling to the ground he reached out his right hand to stop his fall and his thumbnail caught the side of the couch. With the weight and the force of the fall it caused his thumbnail to be ripped off his thumb. His parents helped him bandage his thumb and stopped the bleeding. It hurt but was not major. Definitely not bad enough to stop him from playing in the big game.

As he got to field and started to warm up with the pitcher he realized something was off. He could not throw the ball back to the pitcher on the mound. His throw was wildly inaccurate. Without his thumbnail he was not able to grip the ball correctly. When the coach realized he had to bench the catcher because of the injury.

Something so small as a thumbnail effects the operation of the whole body. The arm cannot say to the thumbnail, ‘I have no need for you...’

The Body of Christ

Like the thumbnail for a catcher, 1 every part of the Body of Christ is needed. That was Paul’s point in the 1st Corinthians passage we read this morning. Whether we are talking about an individual church or the global collective church, every member is needed. 2 The church is the church because everyone who is in the church. It’s not just the pastors, or the missionaries and evangelists that talk to thousands of people that make up the church. It is all of us.

3 The feet that go are not the only ones that get to celebrate the work of the Holy Spirit, the whole Body celebrates together. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:26 4 ...If one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”

Baptized Believers

So, who is a part of this Body? In verse 12-13, 5 Paul wrote, 1 Corinthians 12:12–13 “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body...” Baptized believers make up the body, the same body made up of different members.

In this Corinthian church, there were a lot of discussions, probably arguments, and disagreements about roles of the members. There were factions between the rich and poor. So, Paul wanted to communicate and set the record straight for this church that every member, regardless of status, what they bring to the table or do not, what gifts they have or do not have were part of the Body. Verse 27 Paul 6 writes, 1 Corinthians 12:27 “ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

Which goes the same for us baptized believers today. We were claimed from the brink of death and brought into the Body when Jesus’ earthly body was broken, crucified, and resurrected.

One Body

So let us work together! Let us work in unison. Going back to the young catcher - the thumbnail is not the main component for throwing a baseball, but it is needed so are the legs, hip, spine, elbow, chest, head.

Let us support each other, pray together, mourn with those who mourn, and rejoice with each other. The Whole Body of Christ is needed. Feelings are real, but they do not dictate reality. Meaning, there may be times when we do not feel useful, or not a part of the body. Those feelings are real and should be addressed because they are not what scripture says. The whole Body of Christ is needed for the work of the Gospel.

The Work

What is the work the Body does? 7 First is acknowledging what is God’s work. 8 Only Jesus’ death and resurrection saves. 9 Only the Holy Spirit can spark faith in someone’s heart (granted he can use our words and actions to spark the faith). 10 Only the Father can choose those He adopts to be a part of the family.

Second, the list of the work for the Body 11 is extensive and longer than what I am about to list.

But when I read the Gospel passage in Luke this morning I noticed the specific words. 12 To proclaim the good news to the poor. - the body can do that! That is a major factor in the United Christian Community Services, which members here join other baptized believers from the other three churches here in town and help provide food and resources those in need. That is easy to get involved with, let alone pray over that ministry.

13 To proclaim freedom to the prisoners and the oppressed. The Body can do that too. Especially when we realize how we have been set free ourselves. 14 And recovery of the sight for the blind. Literal healing of sight does not happen all the time in this part of the world but through prayer the body can be a part of that work too. And there are a lot of ways to help the metaphorical blind receiving sight of God’s truth. There is a lot of work for the Body of Christ to do together. And we need everyone, even the thumbnail.