Today we will delve into the marks of a Christian that are on total opposite ends of the spectrum of emotions. The first is rejoicing and the other is weeping. Both of these emotions are ones everyone will experience at some time in their lives. Paul teaches us in Romans 12:15 that we are to weep and rejoice with our brothers and sisters in Christ. This goes back to verses 4 and 5 of this same chapter. It supports the idea that we are all one body. While a body has many members, such as the head, fingers, toes, etc. Each part of the body is important for it to function properly. When one member rejoices, we should rejoice with them. When another member weeps we are to weep with them.
Romans 12:15 “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.”
Romans 12:4-5 “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”
In a body of believers, we should be so connected that we share one another’s joys and sorrows. We truly should function as an intimate family. This no longer seems to be the desire of most believers. Why is the body no longer functioning as one? I believe we have come to the place in our modern world where those who are believers have compartmentalized their lives and therefore, God and the church are only a part of their lives. God is not their sole purpose for living. Taking time to get to know others who are a part of the church is something they simply do not have time for. They have their friends and family and that is enough for them. This is not what God intended for the body of Christ.
We are to be connected and concerned for the welfare of one another. Just as Paul teaches us in I Corinthians 12:25-27, we are to know one another and share in the happiness and sorrows of each other. When we rejoice over another’s happiness it spreads, and the joy is contagious in the body. As the joy is spread, it increases and it is a testimony to the lost world. It draws attention to the church and to our God. It brings honor and glory to God, as we praise Him and thank Him for what He has done. In verse 25 we are taught, “There should be no schism in the body.” This means there should be no division or cliques in the church. While we always will find those in the body with whom we have more in common, our common bond with Jesus Christ should be the strongest and should overshadow any other connection. This common bond should keep us from saying or doing hurtful things. It should cause us to exalt one another, not put one another down. It should cause us to respect each other and value the ideas and opinions of those who are part of the body. It should keep us from ignoring one another as if they don’t exist. It should cause us to prefer others above ourselves, as we are taught in Philippians 2:1-4 ”So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus” Why should we strive for this attitude and love for one another? Because it is when we are most like Jesus! He is our example and when we live this out the outside world sees Jesus in us.
I Corinthians 12:25-27 “That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.”
Our key verse, Romans 12:15 also talks about weeping with one another. This is another attribute that the body should exhibit to one another. If we are loving as Christ loved us, we are concerned for each other and know what is going on in each other’s lives. When sorrow comes, we share that burden and weep with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are genuinely in sorrow over the pain of a member of the body. Paul taught us in Galatians 6:2 to “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. In John 11:35 we have the shortest verse in the Bible, yet it is one of the most impactful verses as to the concern Jesus had for His friend Lazarus’s sisters. He wept because they were hurting, He felt their pain. He knew He would raise Lazarus from the dead, but at that moment Martha and Mary were hurting deeply. Jesus wept with them. Again, our Savior gives us a perfect example of how we are to be caring for one another.
Now it is time for a check-up. How are you fulfilling this command in the body of Christ? Are you seeking to get to know everyone in your church? Have you extended yourself beyond your comfort zone to rejoice and weep with fellow believers? Do not allow yourself to get so caught up with a few that you miss the blessing of the body. Love like Jesus, rejoice, and weep as He does. Obey and honor Christ by getting to know the body He has placed you into.
