As I have said many times, especially in this study of the book of James, we need to consider the context of a particular passage or verse in order to properly interpret scripture. And this is especially important in the passage we are looking at today. This particular passage has been used as a proof text for a whole host of erroneous ideas.
For instance, the Catholic Church has used this text as a basis for it’s doctrine of extreme unction, or final rites for the dying. It’s been used as justification for what’s called “faith healer” practitioners. And it’s been used to support the practice of anointing with oil. But most frequently it is used as a text to support the idea that you can be healed of any sickness if you follow this formula.
My intention this morning is not to debate whether or not God heals people today. I am convinced that God can and does heal on some occasions, according to His will. However, I don’t believe that God ordains faith healers to go about performing healing campaigns. But I don’t think the context of this passage supports the idea that this is talking about physical healing, or faith healing per se. I think the context of this passage supports the essential need for prayer and the power of prayer in the Christian life.
So I believe this entire passage from vs 13 to 18 isn’t a text on healing, but on prayer. It is not a passage about healing physical disease. It is a passage about healing spiritual weakness, spiritual weariness, spiritual exhaustion, spiritual depression which calls for battling by spiritual means, which is through prayer.
Now there are five elements of prayer that I believe are exhibited in this passage. One, the comfort of prayer, two, the prayer of praise, third, the prayer of restoration, four, prayer of fellowship, and the power of prayer. Now I believe all these elements of prayer are revealed in this passage.
Let’s start with the comfort of prayer. Remember that James is writing to the church in this particular time and place, which is made up mostly of displaced Jews, who were suffering persecution, hunger, having lost homes and businesses, and perhaps even loved ones due to persecution. These 1st century Christians were battle worn, bruised and battered. James began this letter on that note, saying that they were to rejoice when they encountered various trials, knowing that the testing of their faith produced patience, and let patience have it’s perfect work. That meant that God used the testing, the trials to produce endurance in their faith as they underwent severe trials in the flesh.
James goes on to speak of the fact they were dragged into court, lied about, slandered. He says that they were poor in the flesh, but rich in faith. That they were to experience suffering in a similar manner as Job. So we should ask ourselves, is it logical to think that James suddenly changes gears in the last passage and starts talking about how you can live your best life now? How God just wants you to be healthy, wealthy and wise, and you can be healed from any sickness? Is that what he has been saying? No, of course not. The context of the letter is that they were suffering and they needed to endure it with patience.
So James says in vs 13, “Is anyone among you suffering?” Well, the answer to that would be “yes, practically all of us.” And let me add to that. Suffering is universal. Jesus said “in this world you WILL have tribulation.” No one escapes it. Sooner or later suffering comes to everyone. Christians are not exempt. In fact, it’s part of the Christian experience we should expect. Notice James says among you. He’s speaking of the church. Some may not seem to be suffering very much in comparison to you. But sooner or later they will experience suffering, though there are as many ways and means of suffering as there are people who suffer. Just because you suffer divorce doesn’t mean everyone will suffer divorce. But someone else might suffer bankruptcy, or cancer or loss of a loved one.
So what is the remedy for suffering? James says, “Then he must pray.” Peter said it this way in 1 Peter 5:7, “cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.” Paul said in Philippians “be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God, and the peace of God, which passes all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
There used to be a hymn we sang in the church I grew up in, in which was the line, “take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there.” There is comfort in prayer. There is a resource in trouble, in persecution, when evil falls on you. Take it to the Lord. Pray, talk to the Lord who is your Heavenly Father, who has promised to keep you, to sustain you, to deliver you, to uphold you, to hear you when you call.
When you are suffering, don’t try to take measures into your own hands. Don’t try to get your own revenge. Take it to the Lord in prayer and leave it there. Cast all your anxiety on Him for He cares for you. There is comfort in prayer, in knowing that He hears me, and He loves me and He will do what is best for me.
The second point is the prayer of praise. James says, “Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.” That sounds easy enough. When you’re happy, sing. But I think it’s more than that. The word cheerful means well in spirit. I was talking with Rusty and Pam at the Bonfire Bible study last week and we were discussing whether or not I was ever happy. I am sometimes happy, though you may not think so judging by the way I might look. I like to blame my dour expression on my genetics rather than my disposition. I was born with this difficulty in smiling.
But as I said to Pam and Rusty the other night, I am not as concerned about the ups and downs of being happy one minute and down the next minute as I am concerned about doing what is right regardless of how I feel at the moment. But maybe more to the point, James is making the case that most people have ups and downs. You may be suffering one week, and the next week you’re on top of the world. But in either condition, we need to focus on the Lord.
In trouble, we don’t really have too much difficulty in coming to the Lord. But in times of prosperity, in times of plenty, when things are going good, when I’m happy, then I tend to forget about the Lord. Job made this insightful comment in Job 2:10, “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” So when times are bad we pray, and when times are good we praise.
The point is, that whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, we praise God. And he uses the Greek word psalletō, from which the word “psalms” comes. I am constantly encouraging people to pray the psalms. You will find as a general rule, there is much complaint in the Psalms, there is much of an attitude of prayer, and yet in almost every psalm, it concludes with a tribute to the mercy of God, the faithfulness of God, and praise to God. That’s a good template for our prayer.
And praising God when things are going good is a good way to prevent idolatry in our hearts, where we kind of attribute the good results in our lives to our own merit, or how smart we are, or how hard we worked, and consequently, how much we deserve, or have earned our happiness. No, we should praise God when things are good. He is the source of good. James said in chapter 1:7 “Every good and perfect gift comes from above.” Don’t sin through pride of your own accomplishments, but praise God from who all blessings flow.
Then in the third point, James moves from those that are suffering or cheerful, to those who are despairing. This is the person that has suffered a long time, and they’ve lost their ability to hang on. They may be suffering from spiritual depression at this point. They have no more strength. I remember 25 years ago when I had what was like a physical and mental breakdown, I had always heard when you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on. And I remember one night it got really bad. And I knew I couldn’t hang on to that rope any longer. But I was afraid if I let go I might go insane. And I remember feeling like my hands slipped off the knot and I started doing backflips into darkness. Maybe I passed out, I don’t know. But I woke up the next morning, and realized that somewhere in that darkness, God had kept his hold on me.
James speaks to those people who feel they can’t hang on any longer. He’s talking to the exhausted, weary, depressed, defeated Christian. Vs 14 “Is anyone among you sick? [Then] he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him."
The Greek word that James uses there translated “sick” is astheneo. There are several possible terms in the New Testament that can refer to sickness or disease. The term here is astheneō which may refer to sickness; it may, and it is sometimes used that way in the New Testament. But all Greek lexicons agree that its primary meaning is to be weak, to be feeble, to be impotent. For instance, Paul uses it that way in 2Cor. 12:10 “Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” And I think it should be interpreted that way in this verse, as weak.
So if you read, “is any among you weak?” That gives a completely different sense. You’re discouraged, you’re weary, you’ve been persecuted, beat up, trying to hold on and about to slip off the knot at the end of your rope. You’re weak. And sometimes at that point, it’s hard to pray. Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones, a very well known 20th century pastor who was also a physician, wrote a book on spiritual depression. I have that book if any of you are interested in it. But the point is that spiritual depression is not uncommon, it’s not un Christian. In fact I think Christians can be prone to spiritual depression at times more often than we like to realize.
The point is that when you’ve hit bottom spiritually, you may not be able to pray effectively. Maybe you don’t even want to pray. So, what do you do? You need to find somebody else that can pray for you. If you’re spiritually weak, James says you should go to someone who’s spiritually strong, which is the elders of the church. Because they’re the spiritual strength that you need. The spiritually strong need to help the weak, encourage the fainthearted (1Thess,5:14).
And in their spiritual strength they will pray for you. Notice the end of vs 16 the result of their prayer. “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” It’s important that the elders of the church can be called a righteous man. Their prayer can help you when you are at the end of your rope. The elders can be called alongside to help you when you’re at the bottom and can’t seem to find strength anymore.
A lot of pastor’s today seem to think that their job is to counsel people. They take a few counseling classes and basically profess to have psychiatric abilities to help people work through their problems. I’ve had pastor’s practically brag to me about how much time they spend counseling people. I am not suggesting that we don’t offer sound biblical counsel, but I think it’s a mistake to try to mix man’s wisdom and God’s wisdom. The apostles said that they should devote themselves to the study of the word and to prayer. I think pastoral prayer is an undervalued asset. It’s something that is promised to produce better results that psycho babble by a pastor who is trying to be a therapist.
It’s a ministry of prayer that God has called pastors to. They are to give themselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the Word. That means to come alongside the wounded warriors, the brokenhearted people who are at the end of their rope, and they don’t even have the strength to call upon God. That’s the pastoral ministry, to come alongside that weary Christian who is defeated, without strength, and on behalf of that individual, lift up prayers to God from a righteous heart.
But the question arises from the verse, what about anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord? What does that mean? The word for anointing is literally to rub with oil. Oil in that day was very often used as medicine. The word in this verse is aleipho. It’s not the word used for ceremonial anointing. That would be the word chrio. This word aleipho is the same word used in Luke 10:34 in the story of the Good Samaritan, who used wine and oil on the injured man. The wine was used for the alcohol in cleansing his wounds, whereas the oil was sued to soothe the wounds.
So what James is indicating here is that the primary emphasis of the pastor in this case, at that time, was the role of prayer for the person who is weak. Prayer is the main emphasis. But secondarliy, is to rub their wounds with oil. Notice though he says that the prayer offered in faith will heal the one who is sick. Not the oil will make them well. Though there may be medicinal qualities to oil. The weakness is primarily spiritual, and so the remedy is primarily spiritual. But at the same time, we should not neglect their physical needs either. And in the case of oil, it was considered to have certain restorative powers. People’s heads were anointed with oil as a balm, as a comfort, as a means of refreshing, and as a physical comfort.
Remember James said in chapter 2:15-16 “If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for [their] body, what use is that?” So the primary need is spiritual, but don’t neglect the physical needs of the body as well. Oil is to refresh the body, prayer is to restore the soul.
But it’s important to note that Jesus never used oil in healing. He performed more miracles than anyone, and yet He never anointed or rubbed oil on someone as a means of healing. In the book of Acts, the apostles healed many people, but again we don’t find they used oil for that purpose. So the emphasis is on prayer, not on oil.
I’m reminded in this of the 23rd Psalm. David said of the Great Shepherd, “He anoints my head with oil.” That’s a reference to when the shepherd brought all the sheep into the fold, after the had come in from grazing all day, he put his staff down in front of the gate, and only one sheep went through at a time. And as each sheep went through, he checked over the whole body. Wherever there was a wound, he poured oil and soothed it. Wherever the skin was parched, he rubbed it in and then he would let the sheep go in. That’s the shepherd’s ministry. That’s the of caring. It’s a ministry of restoration.
And notice James says you anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. That means, on behalf of Christ. To say, “in the name of the Lord” means consistent with Christ. So we are to act on behalf of Christ to His people. That’s what it means to do something in the name of the Lord. To be His hands and feet.
And then notice it says, “and the prayer offered in faith will save the one who is sick.” Now that’s the common translation. It’s first of all the prayer of the righteous man, the prayer of the elders, offered in faith. But the word translated sick needs to be considered more closely. That is not the common word for sick. James uses the word kamnō, whose primary meaning is to be weary.
It is only used one other time in the New Testament, in Hebrews 12:3 - and it is translated there properly as “weary.” It says, “Consider [Christ] who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.” That’s exactly what it means here. He’s talking about the people who in the midst of persecution are fixing their eyes on their trouble rather than on their Savior and are not able to endure and have grown weary and lost heart. That’s the only other place that word is used, and it’s used as weary, not sick. And it is not only the same word as in Hebrews 12:3, but it’s used in the very same context.
So, going back to our text in James 5, and you should read it this way: “The prayer offered in faith by those godly men will restore the one who is weary and has lost heart.” Speaking of spiritual restoration, spiritual strength. Obviously it has to be a prayer offered in faith, according to the faith. In James 1:6, he said, “But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord.“
So the elders pray, believing, using their faith vicariously for this believer’s weak faith, and that prayer restores the one who is weary. The word “restore” comes from the Greek word sozo. It means to save, to deliver, to rescue, to restore. It can also mean to preserve, to make whole.
Vs 15, “The prayer of faith will restore the weary, and the Lord will raise him up.” Notice he says, “And the Lord will raise him up.” That means to rebuild. That’s the word egeirō, to arouse, to awaken, to excite. He’s stumbled and fallen, spiritually. He’s lost all his strength to go on. But the Lord will restore and raise him up again.
Then notice the last part of verse 15 – “if he’s committed sins, they’ll be forgiven him.” This proves he’s not talking about disease, because the Bible teaches clearly that not all disease is the result of sin. That’s why James says, If he’s committed sin. There is not a direct result of sin in the case of spiritual weakness. But if there is a contributing sin that’s involved, your sins will be forgiven. And having your sin removed is a key part of spiritual restoration.
The fourth point is prayer of fellowship. James says in vs 16, therefore, linking what has been said in the previous verse to this verse. He’s just said if you’re spiritually weak go to the spiritually strong and God will restore you. Now he says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” So, if the prayers of a righteous man can help you in that weakness in your life, you ought to be confessing your sins to one another and praying for one another so that you may be whole.
This is addressed to the need for fellowship in the church. You need fellowship with other believers so that you’re praying for one another sharing one another’s burdens. Fellowship is being able to confess your weaknesses to one another, talk about your struggles, your difficulties, and then be encouraged by other believers who have undergone similar circumstances to persevere. He says confess your sins to one another. It doesn’t mean share every sordid detail of a sin you are having trouble with, but it does mean to confess that you’re weak, that you are struggling. Not putting on a front that everything in your life is great. There is a saying, confession is good for the soul. I think that saying finds it’s root here in this verse. Confession is a means of cleansing, of restoration. And most importantly, of restoring our relationship to the Lord. David prayed in Psalm 51, renew a right spirit within me. Restore unto me the joy of my salvation. And he said, “if I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me.” So confession is essential to fellowship and being restored.
Then James closes with an illustration about the power of prayer. He gives an illustration of Elijah, from a time when he was persecuted, when he was so overwhelmed in his struggle that he wanted God to take his life. James says of that time, in vs17 “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.”
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours. He was just like we are. He was just a man. He was human. He suffered and bled just like we do. There was a time when he was hungry. There was a time when he was afraid. There was a time when he was ready to give up and die. He was just a man. But, he prayed earnestly. As intense as the difficulties were, so was the intensity of his prayer life. His prayers were so powerful it didn’t rain for three-and-a-half years. He prayed again; the sky poured rain, and the earth produced its fruit. The only thing we know about this prayer is what James tells us. The only thing we know about the duration of the drought – three-and-a-half years – is what James tells us.
Now that’s an interesting choice of illustrations for James to give us. And if he had been talking about physical healing, then it’s really a strange illustration to use. If he wanted to illustrate physical healing, he could have drawn from a lot of Biblical illustrations of physical healing. But if he wanted to illustrate how God sends down refreshing rain on dry, parched land, this is a perfect illustration. If he wanted to illustrate how God can restore and answer prayer of a discouraged prophet who wanted God to take him because he had become so discouraged, then it’s a very appropriate illustration. Because what he’s been talking about is the weary, weak, exhausted, depressed soul of the wounded warrior who needs an outpouring of the refreshing rain of the blessing of God. It’s a perfect illustration of the power of prayer.
As God sent the rain in response to the prayers of a righteous man, so in response to the righteous prayers of men today does He send the restoration to the parched, dry, weary, weak, struggling believer who needs so desperately a refreshing anointment from heaven. We have an amazing resource in prayer, complete access to our God who wants to restore and to deliver us, who wants to save us from sin, who wants us to be effective in our ministry. I hope we will not neglect this great privilege that we have in prayer. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be restored. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
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