28th November 2024

28th November 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read (James 5v14-15)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


Today we have reached some of the most controversial verses in the entire letter of James. Do these verses once more speak about the relationship between works and faith? Not quite. Instead, James urges those who are sick to call for prayer (v14). The word translated here as “sick” can indicate all manner of physical and spiritual weakness, nevertheless the “sick” person is to take the initiative. What are they to do? They are to call for the prayers of their Elders.


What does this process look like? Firstly, the one who is sick seeks out the Elders. The sickness in question is not something minor. The Elders of the church should not be inundated with requests to come and pray for granny’s ingrowing toenail. Instead, imagine the man who has been under a dark cloud of depression for many months which has caused him to contemplate suicide or perhaps the woman whose terminal illness has caused her to be wracked with severe pain throughout her body or even the person who has been robbed of their assurance of salvation and hasn’t slept in months. The sick should consider their condition and then take the initiative in calling for the Elders.


Secondly, the Elders should carefully consider each request. Just because the Elders are called to come, does not mean they should. The spiritual leaders of each fellowship should prayerfully consider the request and decide whether or not to answer it. This might seem harsh but the Elders should seek to discern if a request is genuine or not. For example, Sammy might demand prayer every week while Fionnuala believes her sprained ankle is the biggest issue in the church. Sammy and Fionnuala need to wise up.


Thirdly, if the Elders discern that the request is valid they should go and pray for the individual. I would suggest that at least three elders should attend for the simple reason that this meets the Biblical standard for truth (Ecclesiastes 4v12 & 2 Corinthians 13v1). Each Elder should pray and the person in question should be anointed with oil.


Fourthly, we might ask why oil? The oil in question isn’t magic oil which is kept in a special jar - I have used everyday ordinary olive oil in the past. Nor does the person need to covered in oil - a reasonable amount poured on the head of the person will suffice. So again, why oil? I would argue that in these rare moments the oil is symbolic and shows that we are setting aside the sick person for prayer. The fancy word is “consecration” which means to set something or someone aside. At this stage, we need to stress that the prayer is the focus here NOT the oil. The oil does not remove sin nor does it save. Furthermore, this act of prayer is NOT a Sacrament - we have two Sacraments only, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Even so, as the oil flows down upon the head of the individual we can’t help but see symbolically the work of the Holy Spirit.


Finally, all is to be done the in name of the Lord. The Lord alone can answer prayer, the Lord alone can save and the Lord alone deserves the glory. Therefore, the Elders and the one seeking prayer should have their eyes firmly fixed on Christ. The power is not ours but His.


There we have it. James says if anyone in the fellowship is sick they are to call for the Elders who will pray for them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. I think this should be a rare moment in the life of any church but equally it should be much more common than it has become in the modern church. What is the outcome of this event? We’ll discuss this in future devotions.  


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC


Q47 What is forbidden in the first commandment? The first commandment forbiddeth the denying, or not worshipping and glorifying, the true God as God, and our God; and the giving of that worship and glory to any other, which is due to him alone.