The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts ... they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
Workers were putting the finishing touches on the new church when a visitor walked in. the high wall behind the altar caught his attention. There an artist was working on a mural of Christ. Only His head and shoulders were visible.
"Will you finish in time?" asked the visitor.
"Oh, I'm finished," replied the artist. "The rest of Christ's body won't be on the wall. His members -- His arms, hands, legs, and feet -- will be in the pews."
Paul would surely agree with that artist. The illustration of the human body was a favorite of his when speaking of the church and its people with varied gifts and abilities -- each one important, and all of them functioning together, with Christ, the Redeemer, as their head. Paul also mourned when individual members did not function as Christ intended or when there was strife between them.
Baptized into Christ's body, we each have been given the Holy Spirit, who endows us with gifts to be used for the good of the whole church. How important it is that we complete the picture of Christ as we take our place in the pew!
PRAYER: O Christ, help us as baptized members of Your body to work together for the good of Your whole church! Amen.
(Devotions from "The Abundant Life" copyright 1998, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time e-mailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)
Today's Bible Readings: Exodus 14-15 Matthew 26:36-75
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