Call for the Elders — The Body of Christ at Work
What Scripture commands when we are sick and dependent James does not leave the sick believer to suffer in isolation. He gives clear instruction: “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: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up” (James 5:14-15). He continues, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (v. 16). Notice the direction of the command. The sick one is to call. Dependence is not failure; it is obedience. We are not designed to carry every burden alone. Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” There is a difference between the personal load each must carry (Galatians 6:5) and the crushing burden that requires the help of the body. When sickness makes us unable to help ourselves or others...