Good Monday morning. I am back from my travels and see I left Victory Call in good hands and have pretty big shoes to fill. Stephanie did a great job “filling in” for me while I was away. I better be careful or I may lose my job. But seriously, I appreciate Steph’s willingness to jump in last minute and cover the Victory Calls so I could go. I certainly didn’t leave her an “easy” portion of Scripture to share.

Though our verse for this week is James 5:15, I have included verses 13 and 14 for context. These verses can be controversial as some would interpret them to mean spiritual sickness and others to mean physical sickness and various other differences. I think many of us are so afraid of the extremes that we fastidiously stick to the middle of the road. It might be uneventful there but it’s safe. I think you know what I mean.

Would you stop and pray right now that as you meditate on this portion of Scripture this week that GOD, not Diane, not the commentators, not you, but GOD’s Spirit would illumine HIS meaning of these verses to your spirit. God’s word has ONE interpretation, many applications, but one true meaning. With that said, let’s forge ahead.

James 5:13-15
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 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.

Commentary
“‘sick’…can also mean ‘to be weak’ (even spiritually weak, as in Rom. 14:1), when used(as it is here) without any qualifiers, it usually refers to physical sickness…Some think that anointing…with oil was medicinal or sacramental…but it is best seen as a symbol representing the healing power of the Holy Spirit to come upon the sick person…In the name of the Lord means it is God, not the oil, that heals.

5:15 the prayer of faith. Not the faith of the sick person but the faith of those praying…Will save perhaps carries a double meaning here: (1) the sick person will be physically healed…and/or (2) the sick person may also experience spiritual salvation…, or growth in the blessings of salvation (sins…forgiven). As seen throughout the gospels, Jesus healed both physically and spiritually, and the same double connotation may be present here as well. James is not teaching that all illnesses will be healed if people would simply call on the elders, or try to make themselves have enough faith or pray with enough conviction. Healing, when it does come, is always a gift from God, who is sovereign over all circumstances, including sickness and health. It does not follow, therefore, that lack of faith on the part of the sick person is the reason that the sick person may not be healed…” [ESV Study Bible study notes pg. 2399]

Have a great week. In the midst of your Christ-mas preparations, remember HIM.

Blessings,
Diane

Diane Hunt is the Director of Addiction Recovery and Development at America’s KESWICK. In addition to her Keswick responsibilities which keep her busy, she loves to read, write and teach, travel and laugh with her grandchildren. Diane has been married to her husband John over 26 years. She has 2 children, 3 grandchildren, 3 step-children, and 7 step-grandchildren.