God’s Healing for my life
by Andrew Chan, Senior Pastor, PBC, Vancouver, BC
A man was driving along a rural road one day when he saw a three-legged chicken. He was amused enough to drive along side it for a while, and as he was driving, he noticed the chicken was running at 30 mph.
"Pretty fast chicken," he thought, "I wonder just how fast it can run." So he sped up, and the chicken did too! They were now moving along the road at 45 mph! The man in the car sped up again, to his surprise the chicken was still running ahead of him at 60 mph!
Suddenly, the chicken turned off the road and ran down a long driveway leading to a farmhouse. The man followed the chicken to the house and saw a man in the yard with dozens of three-legged chickens.
The man in the car called out to the farmer, "How did you get all these three-legged chickens?"
The farmer replied, "I breed ’em. Ya see, it’s me, my wife and my son living here and we all like to eat the chicken leg. Since a chicken only has two legs, I started breeding this three-legged variety so we could all eat our favorite piece."
"That’s amazing!" said the driver "How do they taste?"
"Don’t rightly know, none of us can catch ’em!"
I think a lot of us today are like that amused driver who spotted the 3 legged chicken when it comes to healing. We are amazed by the stories we hear from Scripture and perhaps read a few modern day stories of healing. We say WOW!
Perhaps some of us, like the idea of God healing, reseacrhed all about it, prayed about it, but like the farmer we have not even tasted healing. But it seems difficult for us to get one today. They seem to run away from us. It seems miraclous healings happen to everyone else or in the Bible days but not to me. Me, I pray for God to get rid of my glasses, don’t like it one bit , gets in the way of playing sports, so Iask God to bring healing to my eyes. Even went to pray like that at healing service… but still wearing my glasses today.
Because of our experiences, many of us are somewhat skeptical when it comes to healing services or healing prayer. If someone is healed - we tend to rationalize it away . Like the story of the child coming home from SS to tell his father about Moses at the Red Sea. Described how the Israelites had put down pontoon bridges for their jeeps to cross on. Then, as Pharaoh approached and his army came over the bridges, they were dynamited and the whole Egyptian army sank in one fell swoop. Father calmly asked the excited son if that was really the way it happened. Child’s response was, "No, but if I told you what they really said at church, you sure wouldn’t believe it." I’m quite sure that’s probably how some of us would respond, we just can’t believe it can happen the way the Bible says it can happen. We’ve tried it, doesn’t seem to work. Go away dejected, disappointed. Perhaps Jesus when he was around can do it, but to duplicate it today, sell me some swamp land in the Sahara.
Today, my desire is for you to hear God’s instruction anew re: healing. In previous sermons, I talked about God’s priorities, God’s power, today focus is more on God’s power, as we zero in on God’s healing power for my life. Yes God can be first in my life, I believe He has power but can/does He heal me today? I believe some have become skeptical, some of us are sickened by the tactics of so-called faith-healers and some of us struggle daily with sickness, as evidenced by weekly prayer requests in the bulletin. There will be a continual need for healing as long as we are on this side of heaven, with, a frail body that’s subject to decay, death and disease.
So let’s learn from James what the Bible does and does not say when it comes to praying for healing.
First healing service I had ever been to was when I was a teen. I was not at all skeptical about the whole thing. I believed in my heart that God can heal. He can do the impossible right? And I wanted to see people being healed. So there was this man from England who was invited to be in Ipoh, Malaysia to heal people. Good praise time in song and then healing part of the service began - I felt nervous. He pointed to areas of the room and told us there were people with specific problems and I can’t remember the message but I believe it was something about trusting Jesus, not the person praying, to heal. I was up on stage watching some volunteers catching people while they fall down after being prayed for by the man as he laid hands on them. He prayed for them and claimed healing in the name of Jesus. Were these folks actually healed? I really don’t know. Was it a religious con-job? I don’t know either. It seems some people are genuinely helped.
However, I know now there are many serious con artistes who make a living that way, big time frauds who prey on people sickness and desperation! Recently one was exposed by the Vancouver Sun, who was working in BC interior. And with the experience I had in Malaysia there was no real follow-up on the results but there certainly was lots of excitement. Some claimed to be healed. However, I don’t see that’s reflected in the James 5 text. Does James say get a white guy from England and do the healing? The text did not say let’s set up healing services, with a band playing, get a sermon preached and have the faith healer announce that the guy over there has a stomach ache… It is not prescribed by James as a way to get people to church, then blow them away by shouting the name of Jesus, force folks to fall down by pushing against them. There is no circus or carnival atmosphere here, no curious onlookers gawking, no people telling phone the number that is now on the screen!
On the contrary, as we read in our scripture text today, it seems evident that God performs the miracle of healing through the local church, not through some super faith healer type from another place in the globe. It is through the elders of the local church and through ordinary folks, you and me. You can tell it is through ordinary folks, because James uses Eliiah, as an example, and the phrase “ a man just like us” (v.17). If u read I Kings 19, u will know that Elijah was depressed, broken down, felt alone, doubted, miserable and yet God came through big time for him. Here is a guy who even after winning a big victory on Mt Carmel against the dark side of Baal’s prophets and King Ahab, felt like a human. And we’re like Him, won some victories, but we crash land too like him. Therefore, I submit to u, it is our responsibility, our duty together, as ordinary human frail believers in Christ, our privilege as a church, to provide a healing ministry to those in need. There is no need to wait for a hired gun from England, at least that’s what the Bible says. It is in the context of an established church, with elders in place, in the intimacy of a local congregation, under the pastoral supervision of elders, that healing is to take place. Let’s focus more on the words of James 5.
In dealing with healing, James frames his teaching by talking about 3 situations. With each of these 3 situations, he begins with this phrase “Is anyone…” (NIV)
This tells me James is realistic about life and about people. He expects this - People are in trouble, happy and people get sick! Real church people go through a whole gamut of life experiences. What happened to people in those days are exactly the same things that happen to people today! They are like us, struggling with same old maladies that has plagued humanity since day 1. We know James is not talking about things from an ivory tower.
He expects there will be folks who will be in trouble, such as painful outward circumstances in life. Persecution happened with regularity in the day James was writing in. He even spoke of prophets who dared to speak the truth in face of opposition in 5:10 and were persecuted, or Job who suffered tremendously persecuted even by his so-called friends and deeply or being slandered by the tongues of others (3:10). All of these troubles stem from the evil that’s in the world. The response to this is what? Let’s theologize about why there is suffering? Let’s blame God? Launch cruise missiles? Slander those who call us names? Persecute them? Bomb us, we’ll bomb u? Or just sigh, with a “que sera sera” attitude, that’s our fate, live with it, resignation. What’s the biblical counsel?
James counsels the best approach when trouble hits is pray. Psalms gives us many clues to deal with praying while in trouble. Study it, read it, meditate it (Eg Ps.35, 54, 56, 88). In it we see how ordinary people struggle with overwhelming odds and troubles and triumph over them by faith in God and being encouraged with greater boldness.
What James is really looking at is the inner experience of having to endure some unpleasant times rather than a specific problem. Our circumstances may create problems for us, but the real pain and turmoil is the inner struggle we face as we deal with things – it is about our reaction rather than problem itself.
God, it seems is responsive to that kind of prayer, or else He would not have allowed it be written into the Bible. He may not always remove the problem but He will most certainly transform it by either removing it or give us a new perspective on the trouble - or give us strength to endure it.
2nd situation is as James says “is anyone HAPPY”: Life is not always difficult -we also experience times of joy, that’s being real. When we are happy, James tells us to sing songs of praise. Greek here is the word psallo from which we get the word psalms. This is easiest of 3 situations for us to deal with and respond to, yet we need to be told, be reminded to respond to God. In joy, it is easy enuff to offer thanks through praising God. What James is teaching is to cultivate attitude of dependence in relationship with God. In all things, whether good or bad, we must come before God and acknowledge our dependence upon Him. It may be easy to do, but not frequently practiced. How many times in my church experience, when I ask for testimony of how God, there is silence, perhaps some are not conscious of God’s grace operating, or perhaps overwhelmed by grace, where the love of God is just so incredible and felt deeply can’t even find the words to say? But u know what helps me… sing songs of praise… they give me words to express what my words cannot adequately express, that’s why I sing praise! See the Psalms “make a joyful noise” I can really get into the groove of praise, not because I can play the guitar, or swing some drum sticks, or sing songs with a good beat. But it is because my heart is touched by the grace and goodness of God through Christ who loves me and gave Himself for me.
Third situation that James is talking about is main focus of this message. "Is anyone of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord."
James gives us three rather specific instructions to deal with sickness. All of the 3 situations mentioned, this is the toughest, maybe u can deal with troubling circumstances, and u can enjoy praise of God, but when sickness ravages your body. How can one deal with it? It is noteworthy that since James uses the imperative verb in the Greek, he is saying or rather he is ordering us to do these things. This means we do not really have a choice but to obey these words, it is not an option, it is not something u can bargain down to a lesser charge.
1. Call The Elders. The Sick should Call. Initial step should be taken by sick person. Which suggest to me, the sick person must be a person of faith. An unbeliever will never take this step. This also tells me that the sick person is attached to a local church, or else how will he or she know who the elders are. This underlines once again the benefits of church membership. This also suggests that the elders business is not to call upon everyone, looking for people to heal. It is the sick person who calls not the other way round. This seems to go against the big time healing services for the masses, whose purpose is to publicize an event so that everyone is gathered at an arena, or a big tent meeting. They go around advertising about this great healer who is coming to town. “Come see miracles” but little is said about Christ. You can see that the James text is not really a big production. Not even in a public service. Not a lot of hoopla, not a lot of fuss, not a lot of organization, not a lot of going thru’ committee meetings to see if it OK to a healing service. Rather the scene that’s pictured is just the elders and the sick person, a much more intimate and subdued surrounding rather than the assembly line production that typifies many a modern day healing services.
While I do not believe James is suggesting that we follow these instructions for every cold/pain that we have. It appears that when we are really, really sick, we are urge with a “is anyone sick” - to call for the elders to come and pray for us. The words “pray over him and anoint him with oil” suggest that this is not praying at a distance. This is not a prayer by electronic transmission such as some tv evangelist, I have seen, who orders people to go and touch the tv screen, and poof! You can be healed! BTW, send the $25 in donation, tax deductible of course, and you’ll received a handkerchief touched by the evangelist, or a pin that has healing power in it. Ooi!
There is one lady in a church that I pastor that has been helped by my praying with her, who said to me “Why is it that not many more people ask you to come and pray with them? I don’t understand this. If they would call you to pray, they would feel much better.” Somehow when people who recognized as elders are present praying fervently with faith in their hearts, somehow the needs of the sick person are met in Christ’s name. I remember praying for another lady with serious back pain who requested such a prayer from the elders, and I remember seeing her tears roll down as we pray, sense of the presence of God being near, warmth of God’s love poured down on her. It also says something to the sick person when the elders actually pray. As he hears their prayers and experiences their faith, he somehow finds it easier to trust in God for healing as well.
Eventhough, this is the only passage in NT that specifically calls for the elders to pray for healing. This does not mean that they as individuals have the gift of healing, but that there is somehow a healing power attached to the office of elder. As a team together, they can make an impact! However, we need to recognize that there are people in the church, gifted by God to do healing in Christ’s name as in 1 Cor.12 teaching. Perhaps they too can come and make a difference with the elders.
2nd instruction: Anointing with oil. Once the Elders are called they are to anoint the person with oil in the name of the Lord. While we are to follow this teaching, be careful not to make it something that it is not.
Also, we are not told that the oil needs to be consecrated, holy oil, any oil will do, maybe even motor oil. For it does not contain any mystical or magical healing powers.
I believe that the actual application of the oil is an outer sign of faith, much like baptism, where we know the water is not magic or possess supernatural power, but it is an outward demonstration of faith. So the oil, is an offering by the elders to God via physical action of faith, calling on the sick to be open to the healing power of God. When u allow someone to touch u with oil, the action suggests an openness to God’s intervention and willingness to be healed.
Why God chose oil, we do not know. Perhaps because oil was the most common medicine used in NT times. Perhaps because anointing indicated that God’s hand was upon a person. But the fact is that oil was used as a medicine during the time of James. Oil is a common medicine in first century (secular lit.). James may just be prescribing prayer along with medicine.
Someone has said: "I have found the best combination for healing is a healthy blend of penicillin and prayer."
This is, if any, a biblical affirmation that when we ask for God for healing, we are not showing a lack of faith by using medical techniques and doctors for healing. Perhaps we also need some sort of physical therapy, oil in some oriental cultures have soothing properties, “mun kum yau” or tiger balm etc.
James underlines for us the truth that it is God who heals - whether through a direct miracle or a medical intervention. The medicine is God’s provision. If an aspirin works it is because God made it work, it was God who gave us the ingredients to make the aspirin, for everything comes from God! As we see, the anointing must be in the name of Jesus for it is He who heals and not the oil.
Third instruction is to PRAY: So we can see that the main part of the solution to illness is prayer. English version makes it appear that prayer and anointing are of equal importance. Greek, prayer is the main verb and anointing is subject to the praying. Proper reading is "Pray, anointing the person with oil." Healing comes not through the anointing or the medicine but through the prayer of faith.
Result of the prayer is that the sick person will be made well and the Lord will raise him up from his sick bed.
Along with the prayer, James says “if the person has sinned, he will be forgiven” (v.15b). The impact of this verse is I believe, that prayer for healing is not merely about physical healing, but spiritual healing must be part of the picture. Prayer without spiritual restoration, merely seeking bodily restoration is not within the will of God. So James shows to us the wholeness of God’s healing. Jews thought that all sickness was due to sin. But for now, sickness can come as a result of our mistakes and our sins, but not always. So James says ... IF the man sinned, he would be forgiven. If sin was the cause of the illness, then he will be healed both of the illness and its cause.
In verse 16, James turns to each one of us, whether we are sick or not, He tells us to do two things for healing in our midst. We are to confess our sins to one another and we are to pray for one another. The prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective. Energetic, working prayers that lead to results comes from a church that is real with each other. We are not to be country club of decent people who have no stress in life, we are to be honest people who deal with real trouble, real happiness and real sickness and find that the Lord is the midst of it, doing His best work through us the church who offer prayers of healing to each other. NB of confession is stressed - confession purifies the community of believers from sin. Again, the working of the local church is in focus, not just individual healing or a organized crusade with many churches involved.
By confessing our sins before God we are forgiven and made righteous through the saving grace and work of Christ. When we confess our sins to those we have wronged we create an atmosphere of love and caring that is a healthy one - a redeemed, forgiven one. One in which we are able to pray for one another in love. Once again, you must see the connection between church members is highlighted. There is no prescription here to become a lone ranger type.
Are all Prayers Answered?
In the ultimate sense, Yes! According Rev.21:1-4, with the coming of the new heaven and earth - which is like a scene from a romantic wedding ceremony - God will be among His people and "He will wipe every tear...no more death or mourning or crying or pain." But for now, we lived with the tension of the now and not yet. Now we have salvation but not yet fully realized. We do not have perfection yet! Practically that means, when we pray for healing, we do not always see the answers to our prayers as Elijah did.
Once again the fact that James wants highlighted here is the effect of the Prayers of Ordinary Believers, as mentioned earlier on with the example of ordinary person such as Elijah. Sometimes we think that only he prayers of super-Christians are answered. That God does not answer prayers in the midst of our weakness and doubts. However real faith is being aware of our need , our pain, our vulnerable spots and asking One who is over us all for help. Real faith is believing God cares about our needs! And today, we need to come to the place where we can believe God can heal but God is not dependent upon our faith.
At one time, Elijah prayed earnestly that it would not rain. By earnestly, we do not mean that he prayed louder or with more motions than others but he continued to pray, trusting God, until he got his answer.
We have prayed for certain people who never got healed and perhaps even died and all will die because it is still the old order of things, we’ve got to wait with trust in God for the new order of things. This may make us very cynical of God’s promises in these verses but that’s the reality of life today.
We need to see these promises in light of how great and good God is. Sometimes we seek immediate, particular healings and we do not get them. But that does not mean that God has not healed us. God heals us in different ways. Sometimes He allows us to struggle and grow over time as healing slowly takes place. Other times He may not give us physical healing but rather provide us with the strength to endure our illness or struggle .
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12, about His infliction, his thorn in the side He prayed for healing but never got it in a physical. He learned to endure it by relying on God’s strength
In Christ, we shall all be healed completely, made whole one day but not now!
CONCLUDING REMARKS:
We do not have answers for all of our questions. We see through the glass darkly ... but we must follow God’s word, not chase after 3 legged chickens. He tells us to call for the elders who will anoint us with oil and pray for us and we will be healed in His time- but today because of our skepticism we would rather build bridges over the Red Sea and ignore God’s clear word here. I implore u to trust in a God who loves you with faith that He will answer us, and if there is confess, use the resources of the local body of believers for your own sake...
Father, may you heal us of our disbelief, skepticism, and being cynical of Your word. You have clearly said in Your word through James, that healing is possible. So help us in our unbelief and help us to believe You can do anything.
All of us as the church, are called to a healing ministry, where we can give healing in Jesus’ name offering physical touch, forgiveness if there is sin, help in time of need and help us for we must obey.
We know now, to do this ministry, is not just for super Christian and are not based on magical rites but in Your power, and authority given to those who serve you in the local church.
Amen.
So call the elders to pray for u and with u. It never hurts to ask! James also teaches us to - Ask boldly, ask in faith, believing that "The Lord will heal!, and not enough wisdom ask for it. Let me end by reading James 1:2-7…
So be joyful today, God can work, persevere in Him, so you won’t be lacking, keep believing… because he loved u enough to give the church, the elders to care for us in time of need.
