Blood Relatives

In the movie Remember the Titans, set in the civil rights era of the 1970s, a high school football learns how to be a family despite being newly integrated with black and white players. A powerful moment is when Julius, black player, goes to the hospital to visit his injured teammate, Gerry, who’s white, after he was in a car accident. Julius enters the room, but the nurse stops him, “Only family’s allowed in here.” But from his hospital bed, Gerry responds, “Alice, are you blind? Don’t you see the family resemblance? That’s my brother.”

Christians call each other brothers and sisters in Christ. We might be black, we might be white, we might be female, we might be male, we might be young, we might be old, we might live in Illinois, we might live in Wisconsin, we might be single, we might be married, we might be rich, we might be poor. No matter the differences, we are one, we are family. 1 Corinthians 12 says, “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” Don’t you see the family resemblance? We’re baptized into the Body of Christ. We drink of His Blood and partake of His one Spirit. You can be related to someone by blood, but the Blood of Jesus runs deeper. The Church is Blood relatives in Christ. In fact, so connected are we that we aren’t just called a family in Christ, but we are together the Body of Christ. We are part of the Body of Jesus, not just symbolically, and not just metaphorically. We are so connected with Him in Baptism and by eating His Body, that our bodies will rise from the dead because His rose from the dead. If we are so connected to Jesus that our dead bodies will rise again, then we are just as deeply connected to one another who are in Christ.

Now, how often do you see a disembodied hand scurry across the floor? Or eyeballs rolling all by themselves from one place to another? Or noses floating through the air sniffing after a scent? Absurd! That’s what scary movies are made out of. But how often do you see Christians trying to go it alone? How often do you and I try to live like Lone-Ranger Christians and only re-attach ourselves to the rest of the Body on Sunday mornings? Absurd! But Christianity isn’t a solo act; it’s life in a family. You can't be a Christian on your own. To be Christian is to belong to the Body of Christ. The body works best when it works together: when the eyes and hands coordinate, when noses appetize the stomach, when feet get the rest of the body in out of the cold. The church is not just another human organization. The church is a new creation brought into being by the Holy Spirit.

The truth is, Jesus has redeemed you by His Blood shed on the cross. And that means He is your Lord. And that means, under His Lordship, He has brought you into the same family as the rest of us knuckleheads that He has also redeemed by His Blood. We have different jobs, different ages, different colors of skin, different families, different responsibilities. We’re not united by being the same. We are not collectively a giant toe, or a massive knee, or a gigantic tooth. What makes us united is that we have the same Lord. He gives us the same Word, He gives us the same hope, He gives us the same Law and virtues, He gives us the same faith, the same baptism, the same Supper, and He gives us the same Church to be part of. We are different parts united by the same Blood, and the Blood is Christ.

We recently re-introduced the Common Cup at Communion. Even if you don’t take from it, it’s a visual reminder that what is common to us is our faith and unity in Christ. 1 Corinthians 12 says we were all made to drink of one Spirit. So, what does Communion do to us? It makes us a joyful family that resembles Christ. Every part of Christ’s Body is honorable! Babies. The shut-ins. The lonely. The mourning. The poor. The repentant sinner. We honor them like royalty: because they belong to Christ. Christ’s Body is growing! Jesus is always adding more people to His Church and Heaven throws a party for every single person added to the flock. That means new people in our Church family have as much seniority as the ones who have been here forever. Christ’s Body unites in Him. We all have different lives and different commitments Monday through Friday. But we prioritize worship and Bible study because that’s where we practice our unity in the same Lord, same faith, same Baptism, same Meal.

So, here’s some questions I want to leave you with: How might you participate more with your church? How might you help others to participate more? If you’re busy or burdened, how can your Church support you? What might you need to sacrifice for the sake of your life in the church? If you are a child of God, all things in your life are spiritual. Changing poopy diapers is holy. Making dinner is a spiritual service. Going to work is an act of faith. So, how might you share the ordinary parts of your life with your church family? Maybe you can share life’s wisdom with others, or learn from the wisdom of others. What might you learn from the least among us? Who is hurting that God calls you to be with? Who needs to grab a beer or a coffee or an ice cream? Who needs a friend to pray with? Who needs a shoulder to cry on? Who just needs a friend? Maybe you need to ask for help and let your fellow Christian glorify God by helping you! What sins might you confess? What struggles might you share? How do we as a church need to learn to be more dependent on each other, and more dependable for each other? Let’s be a church where no one is alone!

We’re family. We’re closer than family. The Blood of Christ runs through the Church’s veins. His Blood makes us family, and His Body is eternal. You are part of His Body. It’s not just by name, it’s not just symbolic, it’s not a metaphor. It’s reality. Baptized into His death, fed by His Body and Blood, and united by His Spirit, we are bound together as brothers and sisters. Don’t you see the family resemblance?