Body Parts

First, we take a look at some useless human body parts. Then we turn to the text to reflect on whether there are similar parts in the ChristBody.

The apostle Paul says in our text that the human body "is one and has many members" (v. 12). And he asserts that, in similar fashion, the body of Christ is one body with many members.

But does it have spare ribs?

Not pork ribs, smothered in barbecue sauce.

Human ... spare ribs.

Fact is, about 0.5 percent of us are born with spare ribs. While most people have 12 sets of ribs, one-half of one percent of us have an extra set near the neck.

As ribs, they are useless.

Spare ribs.

But superfluous bones are not the only oddities in the human body. Take your tonsils, for example. Ideally, these tissues at the back of the throat act as a filter for bacteria and viruses. Problem is, they are prone to infection, which is why so many are removed from the throats of children. Fortunately for adults, tonsils shrink with age and generally stop acting up.

Wisdom teeth: Technically, these choppers are third molars that appear between the ages of 17 and 25. Because they appear so late, when we are much wiser...