And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. (1 Corinthians 12:21-22)
Weak Members Are Essential
The human body is a marvelous creation of unity, design, productivity, and purpose. Everything about the body serves a purpose. Some parts receive more glory than others. Without hands and feet, the human body would struggle to exist. The eyes and ears are vital for seeing and hearing. Losing eyesight compromises the body’s effectiveness. Removing a hand or foot will diminish what the body can do. Against the backdrop of the human body, God describes the unity of the body of Christ and the importance of every part. He designed the human body to perfection as He designed His church in perfection.
Everyone in the local congregation is an important part of the work. Faith comes in different measures with each individual. There are some Christians who are babes in Christ. Some have a middle-aged faith, and others have grown in faith over the ages. No matter how long a person has served the Lord or how deep their faith is, each person plays a responsible and essential role. The blending of faiths complements the body of Christ, as each part of the human body complements the others. Every level of faith is necessary for the local church’s growth. The stronger in faith cannot look upon the weaker in faith and judge them nonessential. A weak Christian must be received with the same love and compassion as the stronger in faith.
Those weak in faith struggle more than those with mature faith, but they both face trials of faith. The mature deal with their faith much differently than those with less faith. A baby struggles to understand life because they are not equipped to know what an adult knows. The same is true in the kingdom of God: someone who has just obeyed the gospel may not be equipped to understand the deeper meaning of growing faith. What is hoped is that, over time and with proper care, the weak in faith will grow in faith and become stronger in their understanding.
A new Christian may not understand the need to gather with saints to consider one another to stir up good works. They are judged more harshly for their lack of faith, but they should never be cast aside as unimportant. The Holy Spirit describes the church as a body, with each member caring for and concerned about every member, with special emphasis on the weaker members. In the eyes of the Lord, weaker members are essential. They are to be encouraged, exhorted, and shown the way to greater faith so they can become stronger in their faith. Weak Christians need the gospel as much as strong Christians. The work of the church is to bring together all of the members for the growth of the body. This can happen only with care for each part of the body, whether strong or weak.
