The Doorpost: When the Body suffers, Jesus suffers

“‘For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ … And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”
Matthew 25:35-36,40

For many of us, this may be such a familiar passage that we don’t even give it a lot of thought anymore. In our minds we think it means Jesus wants us to do good to others and we don’t give it a lot more thought. But the passage seems to be saying more than that.

Jesus Christ, the King, is saying, “I was hungry, I was thirsty, I was sick …” He has made us part of His Body. He is the Head.

In 1 Corinthians 12:24-26, Paul tells us, “God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”

Paul is telling us that when another part of the Body of Christ suffers, we should suffer. The passage in Matthew seems to be saying that whether we suffer with our brothers and sisters in Christ or not, Jesus Christ suffers with them.

This clearly applies to what we are doing in bearing each other’s burdens through Samaritan Ministries. But it also goes beyond this to the rest of the Body—to all the rest of Christ’s Body. It extends to those next to us in the pews on Sundays—even those we disagree with. It extends to believers in other denominations and fellowships. It extends to our brothers and sisters in Christ who are being persecuted, tortured and killed. It extends to those in other Christian ministries who are having problems.

“If one part suffers, every part suffers with it.” When we do this, we are participating in and relieving the suffering of our Head, Jesus Christ.