Anointing the Sick
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. (James 5.14-18)
I don’t think James is trying to persuade Christians to refuse medical treatment in this passage. Rather, he calls on them not to neglect our spiritual side when we find ourselves in difficulty.
James is not here speaking of the sniffles, but of a seriously debilitating physical failure. Yes—seek medical care! But also “call for the elders of the church”. When you’re a Christian, you’re not alone. God has made you part of a large family! You don’t need to suffer in isolation – call on the representatives of the church to join you and share in that suffering. The elders aren’t running around peddling a “healing ministry”. The one who is sick has the responsibility of calling them to come. They must want this sort of connection and request it. An entire church filing in and out of your hospital room can be overwhelming. A few representative elders visiting can be a comfort and reminder that you are not alone while allowing for the rest necessary for restoration of health.
The elders are not celebrities, but representatives of the praying body of believers. James illustrates using Elijah as an example of the power of prayer, not because of Elijah’s special powers, but because he was just “a man with a nature like ours”. This isn’t about magical healing power; it’s about God’s power and our dependence on Him.
Anointing with oil in the ancient world was both medicinal and symbolic. The symbolism is the Spirit of God coming in response to prayer, bringing healing to the sick, both body and soul.
If you make the request, our elders will pray over you and anoint you with oil. It’s just olive oil and we usually apply it with our thumb in the form of a little cross on your forehead or your hand as we pray.
James says it is the prayer of faith, not some magic in the oil, that “will save the one who is sick and the Lord will raise him up.” Prayer is a request. God will answer as He wishes, but He has told us to come to Him and express our wishes, to cast all our cares upon Him (1 Peter 5.7).
Finally, James points to the importance of giving attention to our whole being—our inner man as well as our body. Notice that he doesn’t say that we are sick because we have sinned. He simply says “if he has committed sins” and encourages the confession of sins and prayer for one another that we may be healed. Debilitating sickness can be God’s way of getting our attention, clearing away the frivolous things in life and sobering our hearts to reflect on deeper things, on the frailty and weakness, not only of the body, but of the soul. Often the healing of the soul is just as important or more so than the healing of the body.
If you have a severe illness, call the doctor. But call the elders too. We still practice what James prescribed, and many have found it a comfort and a blessing. We’ve seen God do some wonderful things for souls who are suffering.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. (James 5.14-18)
I don’t think James is trying to persuade Christians to refuse medical treatment in this passage. Rather, he calls on them not to neglect our spiritual side when we find ourselves in difficulty.
James is not here speaking of the sniffles, but of a seriously debilitating physical failure. Yes—seek medical care! But also “call for the elders of the church”. When you’re a Christian, you’re not alone. God has made you part of a large family! You don’t need to suffer in isolation – call on the representatives of the church to join you and share in that suffering. The elders aren’t running around peddling a “healing ministry”. The one who is sick has the responsibility of calling them to come. They must want this sort of connection and request it. An entire church filing in and out of your hospital room can be overwhelming. A few representative elders visiting can be a comfort and reminder that you are not alone while allowing for the rest necessary for restoration of health.
The elders are not celebrities, but representatives of the praying body of believers. James illustrates using Elijah as an example of the power of prayer, not because of Elijah’s special powers, but because he was just “a man with a nature like ours”. This isn’t about magical healing power; it’s about God’s power and our dependence on Him.
Anointing with oil in the ancient world was both medicinal and symbolic. The symbolism is the Spirit of God coming in response to prayer, bringing healing to the sick, both body and soul.
If you make the request, our elders will pray over you and anoint you with oil. It’s just olive oil and we usually apply it with our thumb in the form of a little cross on your forehead or your hand as we pray.
James says it is the prayer of faith, not some magic in the oil, that “will save the one who is sick and the Lord will raise him up.” Prayer is a request. God will answer as He wishes, but He has told us to come to Him and express our wishes, to cast all our cares upon Him (1 Peter 5.7).
Finally, James points to the importance of giving attention to our whole being—our inner man as well as our body. Notice that he doesn’t say that we are sick because we have sinned. He simply says “if he has committed sins” and encourages the confession of sins and prayer for one another that we may be healed. Debilitating sickness can be God’s way of getting our attention, clearing away the frivolous things in life and sobering our hearts to reflect on deeper things, on the frailty and weakness, not only of the body, but of the soul. Often the healing of the soul is just as important or more so than the healing of the body.
If you have a severe illness, call the doctor. But call the elders too. We still practice what James prescribed, and many have found it a comfort and a blessing. We’ve seen God do some wonderful things for souls who are suffering.