October 18, 2021 (Monday)
James now heads into a chain of thoughts that begins, “If any of you are
suffering, they should pray. If any of you are happy, they should sing.” [James
5:13 CEB] One thing consistent in the book of James is the idea of integrity. If
we are not doing or being who we are, then it should be a warning that we are
off track. We ought not to pretend. Nor will we always be in suffering or be
happy. There is a time and place for an appropriate response to each of these
states of life.
James addresses sickness, “If any of you are sick, they should call for
the elders of the church, and the elders should pray over them, anointing them
with oil in the name of the Lord.” [James
5:14 CEB] Notice the specific instructions. If sick then the person needs to
take the initiative to call for the elders. The elders then pray and anoint wit
oil. This is done “in the name of the Lord.” We pray and act in the name of
Jesus.
Throughout the Bible, oil has various meanings. Oil is a
symbol of the Holy Spirit. Oil was used to anoint someone for office (king,
priest). Oil was also medicinal. For instance, when David paints the picture of
“you anoint my head with oil” in Psalm 23:5, he is reflecting on the Shepherd
treating the scratches the sheep would pick up during the day. Please
understand, oil is not something magical. Healing may come in a form we do not
like, understand, or expect. While praying in the name of Jesus may seem
formula, it is the way Jesus taught us to pray.
James explains, “Prayer that comes from faith will heal the sick, for the
Lord will restore them to health. And if they have sinned, they will be
forgiven.” [James 5:15 CEB] Some
translations (KJV, ESV) say “save” rather than “heal.” This can be confusing because
James does not mean salvation of the soul (Robertson). There are times when the
reason for the sickness is sin (notice the “if”). Healing the body will also
involve healing the soul since these things may be linked. If this is the case,
the Holy Spirit will witness to you if and what the link is between the sickness
and the sin. Don’t automatically assume all sickness is caused by sin.
James expands the idea of confession and healing, “For this reason, confess
your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The
prayer of the righteous person is powerful in what it can achieve.” [James
5:16 CEB] As Protestants we tend to resist the idea of confessing our sins to
one another, yet there is something powerful about this honest act. Once sin is
out in the open, it is more likely we can be held accountable.
The second part of that verse indicates that there is power
in prayer. Prayer that comes from someone who is right with God (righteous)
seems to be especially effective. James uses Elijah as an example. “Elijah was a person
just like us.” [James 5:17a CEB]
Anyone who knows Jewish theology understands the greatest prophet was Moses,
but the next greatest was Elijah (who God took in a chariot of fire). Yet James
insists that Elijah was nor more (or less) special than anyone of us. Just as
we are naturally weak and sinful (Wesley), so was Elijah.
James continues by explaining that Elijah prayed for no rain
then prayed for rain. In the Greek, there is an interesting picture for this
earnest (fervent) prayer. Literally it says he “prayed with prayer.” Remember,
despite calling down fire from heaven (on more than one occasion) Elijah was
prone to depression and became suicidal. It is in times of the greatest need
that our souls cry out to God in a way people who do not rely on faith cannot
understand.
Some people pray rote prayer. We drone (babble) through
memorized words. Others have learned to pray sincere petitions and worship.
Some have learned to “pray in the Spirit.” I doubt this means to pray in
tongues. I’m thinking it is more like Hannah who prayed in a way that “her
desires were too intense for articulation” (E.M. Bounds).
Moral of the story: if Elijah could pray like this, you can
do it.
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