Introduction
Dear Beloved, last Sunday was a Pentecost Sunday marked by all Christians across the globe!
The word “Pentecost” from the Greek word pentēkostē, means fiftieth” from the Greek name for a harvest festival that is also known as the “Feast of Weeks.” This unique feast occurred 7 weeks after Passover (49 days), culminating with the actual feast on day 50th (hence, the New Testament term “Pentecost”).
Since Pentecost Sunday depends on the date of Easter, Pentecost is a moveable feast, that is, the date is not fixed. It commemorates the pouring of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks. The Holy Spirit keeps us in faith and guides our paths through the Christian pilgrimage here on earth through His Church, which Christ is the head of the body.
In St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 12 verse 12, the Church of Christ is likened to the human body. On our own bodies, the different members have different functions to perform. The foot, the hand, the eye, the ear, – all are fashioned for performing the particular task, which is needed for the well-being of the whole body. All the members share in the proper functioning of each member.
The Apostle says that this is the way it is with Christ. In His body, the Church, there are many members, but they do not all have the same function. One member may be called to do a particular task in the Church. And then another may be called to do something else. There would be chaos and confusion in the human body if all members tried to carry out the same function. The harmony and coordination of the body of Christ depend on the way in which each member sees his or her place in the whole body and carries out that particular function for the welfare of the whole body. When that kind of working together in the body takes place, Jesus Christ is glorified, because actually He does the work.
The New Testament of the Bible speaks of the Church as Christ’s body, this is most beautiful and meaningful description of those who follow Jesus Christ and are in the fellowship, which bears His name. It is an expression, which includes all who see Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, no matter where they may live, or what label they may carry. They have all been brought into this fellowship by the grace of God in Christ.
All who are members of the one body have special relationship to each other. They help each other grow up into Christ, who is the head of the body. This means two things. First, none of us is perfect in his understanding of all the mysteries of God, nor in his life as a Christian. Second, there has to be communication between the members of the body.
We follow this teaching of the Apostle when we speak the truth to each other in love for the purpose of helping each other become more like Christ. That means not only talking but also listening when our fellow Christians speak to us in love. When that kind of speaking and listening takes place, the whole body is built up in love.
Jesus tells us “His mission to the world and the unity of believers are bound together”. When the world sees that those who call themselves after Christ’s name live together as one family in harmony and love, then it will know and believe that the Father sent Jesus into the world. This may not mean that all will be in one organization, but it does mean that they will treat each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, who is the Lord and Savior of all. This is a hard lesson to learn, but it must be the first step in carrying out our Lord’s mission to the world.
In his letter to the Ephesians chapter 2 verse 19, St. Paul said: “You are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” The picture of the Church as the household of God gives us a feeling of warmth and security. St. Paul had earlier said to the former gentiles, that is, to those who were outside the family of God’s chosen people, the Jews, that they were no longer strangers and sojourners but fellow citizen with the saints, full citizens among God’s people, they were full members of His family.
God’s household is the Church which Jesus Christ founded, in which He and His Spirit live, and of which He is the one Head. It is not a Church we have made, not an institution or organization where we live to play our little games and make us believe that some Church members are better than others, that some are first-class citizens, others second and third-class.
That is not the way it is in Christ’s Church we may still have different levels in man’s society, there are no partial and part-time members. We have all been called by one Spirit into this fellowship. God’s full grace is offered to each other without measure. This household, the body of Christ, is a good place to be.
St. Paul also said to the Romans in chapter 14:8 quote: “so then whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” St. Paul is speaking here about those who are in fellowship of the Church, in the body of which Jesus Christ is the Head. He has said there are differences of opinion among people in this fellowship, some eat only vegetables. Others eat anything. Some give honor to special days while others consider all the days the same.
This doesn’t cause any problem until one or the other partisan insists this is the only way and that everyone else is wrong. At this point, Paul says, we have to remember that we are servants of Jesus Christ. He alone, has the right to pass judgement on His servants.
We sometimes see something like this happen in the Church on our own day. There are matters on which honest and faithful Christians can have different opinions. Each of us has have to realize that he stands before God’s judgment seat and will have to give account for his actions.
The important thing to remember, St. Paul says, is that we are the Lord’s possessions whether we live or whether we die. If we live for and to Him as our one and only Master, it doesn’t matter whether we are alive/or/dead, and it doesn’t matter what judgment others pass on us.
Yes, we do agree “There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit,” recorded in 1st Cor. Chapter 12 verse 4. St. Paul\s claim here is to stress the unity of the church. We know that the congregation in Corinth had factions in it and that there was quarrelling among the members. One reason for this spirit may have been the envy and jealousy some had over against others. Paul said there are many kinds of gifts in the church.
The point to remember, Paul says, is that all these gifts are from the same spirit. Therefore, there is no reason for them to be the cause of division in the church. The same God inspires the “varieties of working” in everyone.
We should not define the word “gift” too narrowly, as if it referred to some spectacular and unusual performance, or to such intellectual gifts like speaking, preparing and writing. If we look on the whole of the Christian life as a service to God, as we should, then the special gifts of the mason, the carpenter, the electricians, the painter, the engineer, the plumber are to be used to glorify God and witness to Him, just as much as the gift of speaking and teaching. The same spirit of God gives them all.
Prayer: Lord, take away from us all fake pride in our own fellowship and lead us to true unity with all Christians. Help us to see each other as members of your one body and help us to speak the truth to each other in love.
Amen.