In this chapter, Paul begins by discussing the diversity of spiritual gifts, but he reminds us that they are all subject to the authority of the Holy Spirit. They work at His pleasure and will, and as such, they are in perfect harmony. He then shifts his attention to the church, using the illustration of the body to show how all the parts are affected by whatever is happening at the moment.

I have only been in a jacuzzi or a hot tub a few times, and those were on vacation. But the sensation you feel as you slip into that tub is so relaxing. It begins affecting your whole body the moment your toes touch the water. Those of us who have been unfortunate enough to have kidney stones know how that small stone also affects the whole body, but in a most unpleasant way. These two examples are a vivid way of looking at what Paul was saying in verse 26. With one, the whole body rejoices, with the other, the whole body suffers.

Since Paul was directing his thoughts towards the church, this is part of what he was saying. If one member of the body experiences something that causes them to rejoice, we should rejoice with them. If they are experiencing something that hurts, we should grieve with them. We shouldn’t let jealousy or apathy prevent us from being there with them when they need us.

Just as the human body works better when everything is in harmony, so does the church. What’s that little song we learned as kids? “If we all could pull together, together, together. If we all could pull together, how happy we’ll be.”