"Jack Sprat Revisited"

“Jack Sprat Revisited”

“Jack Sprat could eat no fat,

His wife could eat no lean.

And so, between the both of them

They licked the platter clean.”

(Not the best of table manners but you get the point.)

Years ago Karen and I talked with a couple in which the husband couldn’t eat seeds. (That has a familiar ring to it!) They had been served sesame seed rolls at a restaurant and the husband commented that he couldn’t have them. His wife said, “O yes you can. I’ll eat the tops and you eat the bottoms.” Sometimes the most obvious solutions are the last ones we think of! (It took us a while to realize we could do the same with Whopper buns at Burger King.)

These stories picture how God equips His church for ministry. Few if any of us possess all the gifts of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 12:27-30) but each has at least one (“…{the Spirit} gives them to each one, just as he determines.”—Verse 11, emphasis added) which He expects us to use for the benefit of all (“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”—Verse 7, emphasis added). Romans 12 shows that as each one exercises his or her Spirit-given ability(ies) the body of Christ functions smoothly, just as the various parts of the human body contribute to its proper functioning. When each part of our body does its intended job we call it good health—when each member of Christ’s body faithfully uses the gifts entrusted to them the result is a healthy church. Shouldn’t this be the desire of all of us as parts of God’s family?

It’s a real blessing to see God’s people emulate Mr. and Mrs. Sprat as they complement each other to enable Christ’s body to function as He intends. This shouldn’t surprise us—it’s what Scripture teaches (“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”—Romans 12:4-5). So let’s all do our part by allowing God to work in and through us to fulfill His purposes.

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan