…but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
1 Corinthians 12:24
At the opening of the 16th century, the people of Germany – and Europe at large – were stuck fast in a quagmire of Romish superstition. Perceiving the soul peril of their congregations, well-meaning priests sought reform by gentle means. But stopping short at a direct confrontation with the hierarchy, such attempts were in vain. A more brazen effort was needed.
Quick-witted, bold, and decisive, Martin Luther was the vessel chosen for the hour. This monk waited on no man’s permission to do what needed doing, and on one fateful day started the greatest revolution of the second millennium. Yet it was not the blunt force of his hammer alone that secured Luther’s 95 theses to the door at Wittenberg. A sharp nail was also needed to hold his objections in place. Although Luther’s self-starting nature was essential in igniting the reformation, without the balancing graces of Phillip Melanchthon, it would have gone out quickly.
Since Luther’s zeal could be taken too far, God appointed Melanchthon to balance the fiery reformer. In complete contrast to the character of Luther, Melanchthon was timid, careful, and shy. While Luther did the needful work of separation, Melanchthon sought to bring unity among the believers and alleviate unnecessary conflict. By providential appointment, the strengths and weaknesses of these two men harmoniously complimented one another to ensure the success of God’s work.
The same hand that formed Luther and Melanchthon has fashioned every brother and sister in Christ. Natural eyesight shows the differences in disposition between any given pair. We see the good and we see where there is a lack. But with spiritual eyesight, one may behold the Maker’s mark on both, and discern a remarkable symmetry. God hath ‘tempered the body’; He has arranged His Church in such a way that where one member falls short, another excels. Dispensing with our narrow-minded judgment, we may behold that God has ‘given more abundant honour to that part which lacked’. He has supplied the deficiencies of the bold Luthers with the careful Melanchthons.
The untamed branches may need pruning before they can bear the desired fruit. But as we deal patiently with our brethren, we will see more and more His purpose in fitting us together in Christ. Favouritism should find no place in the home or in the church. Rather, we should look for the excellencies God has placed in all, ‘that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another’ (1 Corinthians 12:25).
Christopher Sparks