Now you are the body...
Illustration
"Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." (v. 27)
Using a powerful metaphor, Paul encourages the church to be united. Aesop, many years before, also told a story about the power of unity.
An old man had several sons who would quarrel with each other despite anything that he could do to stop them. So, one day, he ordered a bundle of sticks to be brought to him; then he called his sons to him and told them all to break the bundle of sticks. They each tried, but they were unsuccessful. The sticks were so closely bound together that it was impossible for any one of them to break them.
The father had the bundle untied, and gave each son a single stick which could be easily broken.
"Now, my sons," said the old man, "you see the strength of unity. If you would all stand together, nobody could harm you. But if you keep quarreling among yourselves, you will be an easy prey for your enemies because you deprive yourselves of the strength of unity."
The moral for the church goes even further: "YOU (and we can imagine Paul pointing and saying, "and you and you and you") are the body of Christ."
Using a powerful metaphor, Paul encourages the church to be united. Aesop, many years before, also told a story about the power of unity.
An old man had several sons who would quarrel with each other despite anything that he could do to stop them. So, one day, he ordered a bundle of sticks to be brought to him; then he called his sons to him and told them all to break the bundle of sticks. They each tried, but they were unsuccessful. The sticks were so closely bound together that it was impossible for any one of them to break them.
The father had the bundle untied, and gave each son a single stick which could be easily broken.
"Now, my sons," said the old man, "you see the strength of unity. If you would all stand together, nobody could harm you. But if you keep quarreling among yourselves, you will be an easy prey for your enemies because you deprive yourselves of the strength of unity."
The moral for the church goes even further: "YOU (and we can imagine Paul pointing and saying, "and you and you and you") are the body of Christ."
