James 5:13-15: Afflicted, Merry, Sick
James 5:13
Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. (James 5:13)
From its usages elsewhere (all in 2 Timothy), the word “afflicted” is translated “endure hardness” and “suffer trouble.” Whatever those difficulties are, they are opportunities to trust the Lord and let Him have his perfect work in us. Recall the verses, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (James 1:2-4).
We are told to “Pray without ceasing” for a reason (1 Thessalonians 5:17). The affliction could be from within or without, any circumstance or your inner thoughts. Whatever it may be, stop, and call out to the Lord. The verse is not written for salvation alone: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). And another comfort, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10).
The word for “merry” is used two other times. These are both used in the case of the shipwreck when Paul was on his way to Rome. “And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship” (Acts 27:22). “Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me” (Acts 27:25). The “be of good cheer” is the phrase of interest. It is as if the apostle said, “Cheer up!” There was bad news and fear, but now there is hope. It seems to me that this may be a continuation of the one who was afflicted in the first half of the verse. You were afflicted, and you prayed. Now you have been merry since your deliverance; sing those psalms!
What does the one who is now merry do now that he is no longer afflicted? “...let him sing psalms.” Think of the Hallel psalms. “Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever” (Psalm 106:1). But not only those psalms, but the laments, too, because most of those end on a high note, or the “vow of praise.” “I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee” (Psalm 22:22). Once the Lord delivers you from whatever affliction, you praise Him and invite others to praise Him with you.
James 5:14
Is any sick among you? 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: (James 5:14)
What does it mean to be sick here? It can be rather broad in meaning. It can mean sick with a disease. “Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them” (Luke 4:40). It can be someone who cannot walk. “The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me” (John 5:7). The word was used of Lazarus when he was sick (John 11:1).
Here, we see the elders of the church have a major role in praying for the sick. These have the chief leadership of the church below Christ. With their leadership is responsibility for the people they serve. Here is a discussion on anointing with oil.
The elders, the chief under-shepherds in the church of God, pray and anoint the sick “in the name of the Lord.” By “name,” it is not merely referring to uttering the syllables of His name, though vocally calling on His name would be included. Doing something in the name of the Lord is to do it in His power and authority.
James 5:15
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. (James 5:15)
Whose faith saves the sick? From the previous verse, we see it is the elders’ prayer of faith. Perhaps we see a similar situation here, when Peter pulled up the lame man by the hand: “Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength” (Acts 3:6-7). Peter certainly had the faith for the Lord to heal this man. And he made no delay on using the situation as an opportunity to preach the Gospel.
The word “save” is the same word that we would see for saving sinners with the Gospel, but the word is used in other generic senses such as this. The same word is used here: “And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish” (Matthew 8:25).
Also note that it is “the prayer of faith.” Recall the Spirit says, “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed” (James 1:6). Consider also, “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith” (Mark 11:23). The mountain of sickness can be moved by the prayer of faith. Sound dangerous? If it is the Lord’s will, we can pray for it.
It is the prayer that “shall save the sick,” but it is the Lord who “shall raise him up.” The Lord, being the firstborn from the dead and the firstfruits of the resurrection, can raise anyone up. One day, He will raise everyone up. He is the resurrection and the life, and He does not need to wait for the Day of Christ to raise someone in this sense.
Moreover, this prayer of faith for the sick works on a spiritual level as far as committed sins are concerned. In Christ, “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). We already have received forgiveness in the sense of enemies receiving amnesty. There are plenty of times we need forgiveness like a son needs forgiveness from his father, and it is the same with us and our heavenly Father. These praying elders help the sick one that has also committed sins get reconciled to God.
The way it is written as a third-class conditional, the sick one being prayed for did not necessarily sin. Maybe he did sin, or maybe he did not. Maybe the sins they committed contributed to the reason why he was sick in the first place. But whatever it may be, if the sick one had sinned, the elders praying for them help them get back in fellowship with the Lord.