Loving All of Jesus

Imagine the scene: a wife comes home to discover that her husband has prepared a romantic evening for the two of them to enjoy. He has made dinner, lit candles, put on some mood music, and adjusted the lighting for maximum effect. Before ushering his wife to her seat, he takes her head in his hands. “Your head is so beautiful; your face, your eyes, your ears, your nose, your hair, it’s all so perfect!” he exclaims. He then glances down, grimaces and shudders, “If only the rest of you weren’t so ugly.”

I can’t imagine that evening went very well after that; can you? No amount of praise that is heaped on one part of your spouse can overcome the insults you give to his/her other parts. Also, no amount of care and service can make a spouse forget that you do not love him/her in his/her entirety. Every spouse wants to hear sentiments like those sung by John Legend, “All of me loves all of you / Love your curves and all your edges / All your perfect imperfections.”

With all this in mind, I want you to reflect on these words penned by the apostle Paul: “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18). The idea that the church is Jesus’ body is not a one-off illustration for Paul or the Spirit inspiring him; over and over again, he returns to it. When we were baptized, we were placed by God’s Holy Spirit into one body (1 Corinthians 12:13). In that one body, we work together to “grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ” (Ephesians 4:15; cf. Colossians 2:19). There is only “one body” even as there is only “one Lord” (Ephesians 4:4-5), and in that “one body” we are “individually members of one another” (Romans 12:5). “There should be no schism in the body,” Paul warns, “but… members should have the same care for one another” (1 Corinthians 12:25).

Totally ignoring this often repeated illustration, there are many today who say, “Give me Jesus, not the church.” Effectively, they are guilty of treating Jesus exactly how the husband in our imagined situation treated his wife. Peter writes to Christians who, like us, never had the opportunity to see Jesus in the flesh; still, he knows their hearts and says of Jesus, “whom having not seen you love” (1 Peter 1:8). Yet, for those who want Jesus without the church, the question is begged, “He who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4:20). It is impossible to love Jesus, the head of the body, without loving His body, particularly since Jesus “loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Ephesians 5:25).

What if the husband in the illustration above were only to highlight very specific portions of his wife’s body that he absolutely despised? Would that be OK? Again, no! And yet there are also many who try to love Jesus’ body, the church, in this same way. They try to befriend, love, and care for certain members in Jesus’ body, while avoiding, ignoring, or even downright hating other members. Again, Paul said, “ members should have the same care for one another,” not differing levels of care based on personal preferences or personality fits (1 Corinthians 12:25). Whether in the human body or Jesus’ body, no member can say to another, “I have no need of you” (1 Corinthians 12:21). “No,” Paul says, “much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary” (1 Corinthians 12:22).

So, the next time you are tempted to think that the church does not matter, remember that it was so important to Jesus that “He purchased [it] with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). And, the next time you are tempted to think that the church would be better off without a certain person, remember that brother or sister you do not like is “the one for whom Christ died” (Romans 14:15). It is impossible to love Jesus without loving all of Jesus, including the many souls who have been added to His body.

-Patrick Swayne  
patrick@tftw.org