“Anointed” (James 5:13-20)

James 5:13-20

Listen to Sermon

Pastor Tom Johnson, September 30, 2018

In our Scripture this morning, James wants us to throw ourselves wholeheartedly into prayer. He wants us to believe that our prayers work—that our prayers are not in vain. He wants to assure us that God works in our lives through prayer. “Are any among you, suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church to pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.” Are any of you down in life? Prayer will lift you up. Anyone feeling great? Give God the thanks and praise—sing, hum, make melody in your heart to God. Did you just get some bad medical news? Now is the time to lean on your church. We want to lift you up in our prayers. I want to pray for you as your pastor. The elders of our church are eager to surround you and uphold you in prayer. The oil of prayer is ready to cover you with a peace that transcends all understanding. “Confess your sins to one another,” James says, “and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.” We should be safe here. Nobody is going to be fooled. We are all flawed human beings. “We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It should be secure enough in our love for one another to be vulnerable.

"Anointing of the Sick" Rogier van der Weyden (1399-1464)

This is not a hymn singing club or a lecture hall. This is a church. This is not a political venue. This is more a hospital for sinners. How sweet it is to throw the weight of guilt off our backs for one another—to assure one another of the forgiveness and new life we have in Jesus Christ! And here is the encouragement James wants us to have—“The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.” I like the King James Version, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man (and woman) availeth much.” In other words, prayer according to God’s command is a force to be reckoned with. Prayer in genuine faith in the strength of the name of Jesus works. Prayer makes a difference. Prayer works. And even more accurately, God works through prayer. It is our neglect of prayer that sets us back. We are told in Scripture that Jesus intercedes for us—he engages in intercessory prayer for us at the strong hand of the Father (Ro 8:34). And the Holy Spirit intecedes for us in our weakness when we do not know what to pray (Rom 8:26)

We pray because God first prays for us. We pray back to God. It how we talk to God and he to us. Communication is an essential part of any healthy relationship. If things are going well for us, we should not take it for granted. Good health, relationships, work, and life are a gift. Every day we get out of bed is another gift from God. We should sing and be grateful. If things are not going well, we should not think we are a burden to God. He is already praying for us. He loves to hear from his children just as our parents and grandparents love to hear from their children and grandchildren.

We should not think we are a burden to one another. James puts the initiative on the sick to call on the elders. We should swallow our pride and call on one another. It may be your turn to be prayed for now. It will be someone else’s turn tomorrow. The image of elders gathering around the sick and anointing them as they pray is powerful. No, anointing with oil is not another sacrament tucked away in James’ sermonic letter. Is it necessary? No. Jesus does not command it or institute it. But it was the practice of the early church. And I believe it is a powerful reminder of the presence of the Holy Spirit and the Anointed One, Jesus Christ. It is a picture of God covering us with prayer—that we are saturated with the grace of God.

I have heard people say many times, “I sensed God’s people pray for me.” Or, “I felt the strength of your prayers.” We should not deny ourselves the blessing. We are not alone. God is with us. The prayers of his people are with us.  As Psalm 133 says, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head.” Jesus is the anointed one. That is what the Hebrew word Messiah means. It is what the Greek word Christ means. He is the one who is anointed by God to bring forgiveness, life, healing, and salvation to the world. And that is the powerful promise we have in the name of Jesus. That God covers us—our cup runneth over—through prayer. In our prayers this morning, we have already been anointed by the Word, and the confession and forgiveness of our sin. We are God’s anointed. He has placed that indelible mark on our foreheads through Holy Baptism. The Anointed One himself—Jesus Christ—gave his life on the Cross and gives us his Body and Blood to assure us of forgiveness and eternal life.

On November 10, I am excited that we will host a Jazz band from New York City for a special Jazz Vespers service right here at First Saint Paul’s at 5 PM. Part of this service will be the opportunity to come forward for individual prayer and anointing with oil. Pastor David Griebel from St. James is excited to help me.

During Communion we will sing, “There Is a Balm in Gilead.” It is an answer to a question in Scripture from Jeremiah (8:22): “Is there no balm in Gilead?” The answer is, “Yes, there is.”

Sometimes I feel discouraged
And think my work’s in vain,
But then the Holy Spirit
Revives my soul again.
There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul.
          "There Is a Balm in Gilead" (LSB 749 v. 1)