The Practice of Anointing the Sick

One of the things growing up as a teenager and then as a college student, one of the things I enjoyed a lot about schooling was biology and human anatomy classes. I guess I'm a science nerd. It just intrigued me growing up in the church to know that God created the heavens and the earth. He created all the things that we see, and he created us in his own image.

The more that I would study into science and being at a young elementary school age, and you start just learning about the functions of the body and hair and just different things, eyes, how they work, you keep advancing in science and learning more. You get into high school biology, you get into college biology, and the deeper you go, the more amazing our bodies are.

On the levels that science doesn't even understand medicine can't fully comprehend. There's aspects where scientists have ideas of why things work the way they do, but they can't fully prove it or wrap their minds around it themselves. Because every single time they look at an issue deeper, they find usually multiple other aspects to explore, to examine. It's just been one of those fascinating things for me.

I've always just enjoyed it. One of my favorite shows is on PBS, NOVA, because each week it seems like NOVA comes out with a new episode diving into either science or an aspect of the human body or of mankind that is always just so intriguing to me. It's rarely an episode that I turn off when I flip over to the channel because it's just so enjoyable for me to watch and to learn more about the way that God created us as humans in his own image. But as we also know, the human body is not immune from problems and challenges. The human body is susceptible to illnesses that can spread from one person to another. And we can have other health challenges that can arise when body systems get out of whack and start operating improperly. It could be a hormone issue, it could be a chemical issue within our bodies. And some of the health challenges we battle are passed on to us through our genes and are sometimes completely out of our control. But thankfully, we have a father that knows when we wake up in the morning and when we lay our heads down to sleep at night. He is battling through an illness and he loves to help and to intervene and be of support to us when it comes to our human health and our physical needs. Let's open our Bibles this afternoon to Psalm 103 in verse 1. Here in Psalm 103, starting at the beginning, we see that this is a Psalm of David. In the first four verses, we see an important aspect that is shared by David of how God looks after and cares for his people. And it's going to get into the crux of what I'd like to share with us this afternoon. This is Psalm 103 and we'll start in verse 1 and we'll read through verses 4. David shares this. He says, We can read through Scripture the countless times that Jesus healed us. Jesus healed many who were sick and brought among him. He encountered this during his earthly ministry. The Apostle Peter referenced the life and death of our Savior and how through the stripes that he bore, we can be healed. We see this in 1 Peter 2 and verse 21.

1 Peter 2 verses 21 through 24. Again, this will help weigh part of the foundation of what we'll explore today. 1 Peter 2 and verse 21. Peter says, For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow his steps, who committed no sin, nor his deceit found in his mouth, who when he reviled did not revile in return, when he suffered he did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously, who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness. This is the key again. By whose stripes you were healed? Jesus' beating and death was a complete sacrifice and healing for the mind, body, and spirit. When we are sick or dealing with a health challenge, we have the wonderful blessing to be able to go to our Heavenly Father at any time, asking for his help, his support, and ultimately his healing of our problems. This is a comfort that we've all been able to enjoy, and a comfort unlike any other, that when we are battling through a severe illness, or one that is just worrisome. I can't count how many times, caring for little Kelsey, that when your child is sick and your prayers go up to God, just asking for his help because you care so much, there is a comfort knowing that we have a Father that not only loves us individually, but cares so much about our children and about everyone when we are battling through an illness. God inspired the Apostle James to share instructions for a very intimate and personal service that elders in the Church today perform, and is associated with God's healing. This instruction by James is a doctrine that has been part of the Church of God for as far back as I can remember, and I know predates even my birth. So, in the time I have with you today, let's explore the origin and practice of anointing the sick, as we see described in Scripture. This is an important topic because it is one of our teachings, one of our doctrines that we prescribe to, and we follow according to Scripture. And so, from time to time, we go back to the basics in our teaching and in what we do and what we practice, to be reminded of why is it that God has instructed this, but why is more importantly why do we do and continue to do this today? The word anoint in Hebrew is moshak, and means to smear, to anoint, or to spread a liquid. Often, we see anointing associated with oil when it would be poured over someone, being a set apart for Godly service. The most common use of anointing in Scripture was that of anointing a priest or a king. It was a ceremony regarded as sacred and was observed religiously from the earliest times. We can see this recorded for us in the book of Exodus and also in Leviticus. So, it's been in place for a really long time, this anointing or this setting apart. So, how did anointing come to be a practice in caring for the sick?

The specific instruction of anointing the sick is found in James 5, verses 13-15. So, we'll go there next to, and this will be the core of what we'll examine today as we continue to explore what the Bible says about anointing the sick and also what we practice as a church.

Again, James 5 and verse 13 through verses 15.

Here, James shares, If anyone among you is anyone, excuse me, is anyone among you suffering? Or, you could say, is anyone in affliction? And he says, let him pray. Is there anyone cheerful? Let him sing Psalms.

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 the faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

Again, this is that primary passage where a practice of anointing those who are sick originates from.

Let's go back and break this down a little bit more before we dive into some other aspects of anointing the sick. Back to verse 14 again. Is anyone among you sick? There's Greek lexicon for the word sick. It also has other definitions which can mean to be weak, feeble, or sick, diseased, or to be without strength.

So any of us, I think, we all have at times suffered from different ailments that have created these type of descriptions in us where we have been weak, or we have not felt able to go on with our normal life. We have ran temperatures where there was no way that we could really function very well at all.

And then, of course, more serious illnesses that some of us have experienced. So is anyone among you sick? It says, let him, and going on to the next part, he says, 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. Often an elder within the church will anoint for any type of illness a person is going through.

Most often these are physical ailments that we encounter, whether it be a disease that we're dealing with, a problem that has caused us to go to the hospital or a medical condition to arise. But elders within the church also anoint for emotional challenges that we sometimes have, and mental health challenges as well. We recognize, as I kind of got into at the beginning of the message today, that the complexity of the human body continues to just amaze science and should amaze each of us as we look into it more.

And at times we've recognized that emotional and mental health issues also often stem from a chemical imbalance in the body and in the brain. The brain and the neurological system is part of the body as much as the kidneys are or bone structure is or the heart is. And so when these medical issues arise and issues come in dealing with our health, be them physical, mental, or even emotional at times, these are issues that elders within the church will anoint for.

But we don't anoint. We do not anoint for things like a job someone is trying to get or a test someone is trying to pass. Now, if we did that, that would have helped me out in high school quite a bit, I think. But we don't anoint for someone trying to pass a test. And we do not anoint for relationship that someone is struggling with, as none of these issues are medical, health-related type of issues. But I did want to point out, because that is that aspect of if any among you are sick and these issues that elders are instructed to anoint for, continuing on in James 5 in verse 15 again, looking at the passage that we just read, he says, And the prayer of the faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.

And if, notice here's that small word, but can't miss over it, if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Directly related to that passage, the expositor's Bible shares this in thought of what is shared here in this verse. Expositor says, the meaning would seem to be, even if his sickness has been produced by his sins, he shall be forgiven. And his sickness cured. So again, it kind of seems to say, according to expositor's, even if his sickness has been produced by his sins, his sins shall be forgiven and his sickness cured.

Now, some have wondered at times if a person's illness is due to a personal sin that they are struggling with. This is a question that sometimes comes up. But we must remember that most illnesses or afflictions are not caused by sins. For an example from Scripture, we can look at the man who was born blind in John 9. Jesus' disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned? This man or his parents, that he was born blind. And Jesus answered, neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. This is from John 9, verses 2 and 3, if you want to make note of it. We know that sometimes illnesses occur just by time and chance.

For example, you go to the store and you touch a knob or touch the handle, which the person previously somehow got something that they were dealing with that was contagious on that. And then we can contract that illness. Sometimes it just occurs by time and chance. Other times, as I mentioned, it could be an inherited trait, a genetic issue that is passed along to us, or we could pass that along to our children. And it wasn't necessarily anything that anybody did wrong again. And sometimes through these time and chance experiences, sometimes these are ways that God can allow an illness to come over us in order for us to grow in character or to develop other traits that are godly and that we can become stronger with, as we go through life.

We never want to see our kids struggle as a parent. We'd love to keep the training wheels on the bikes forever. We'd love to give them all the answers to their tests. But we realize they'll never grow. They'll never fully develop and blossom as much as we want them to, and more importantly, how God wants them to. And so there are times where illnesses come on to us and we become sick. We start dealing with troubles.

And through those, though, we can learn valuable life lessons that can't really be learned any other way, and God understands that. So this is the primary passage, this passage from James, Chapter 5, that we use for our basis of anointing the sick. But this passage may raise the question, why use oil when anointing someone?

James, Chapter 5, specifically says to anoint with oil. From the Life Application Study Bible, it shares this about the passes. James is referring to someone who is physically ill. In Scripture, oil was both a medicine, and then they reference, see the parable of the Good Samaritan. We remember how the person who was injured and beaten up along the side of the road, how the Good Samaritan came along and tented and wrapped up his bandages or his wounds and used actual oil as a source for the medicinal purposes that it is in him. And so the Life Application references that. And it goes on to say, and a symbol of the Spirit of God. And then it references the example used in anointing kings. So that's what was shared from the Life Application Study Bible.

From Scripture, we also see that when Aaron and his sons were to be set apart for the priesthood, they were anointed with oil. This is going to be kind of a, maybe a little bit of like almost like a Bible study format.

There's going to be a lot of scriptures we'll turn to, and I'll reference some. For this example here of Aaron and his sons being set apart and anointed with oil, that's in Exodus chapter 30 and verse 30. And also Leviticus 8 verses 12 and 13, if you'd like to make note of those. We also see that when kings were set apart for their service to God and his people, they were anointed with oil. One example is King David. He was actually anointed three times king of Israel. We see this in 1 Samuel chapter 16 and verse 13. This is when Samuel, in front of David's brothers and family, poured oil onto his head, anointing him as the next king.

And then in 2 Samuel 2 verse 4, this is when David was set to be king or anointed king of Judah. If I remember, I don't have it in my notes. I believe it was Judah there in 2 Samuel 2 verse 4.

And then in 2 Samuel 5 verse 3, he was anointed again as king of Israel in that point, in that passage. I might be mixing those two up, those last two, whether it was Judah and Israel or Israel and Judah, but he was anointed three times when he was set apart to be king.

Then in the New Testament, we see the example in Mark chapter 6, which I'd like to turn to next. Again, Mark chapter 6, and we'll start reading in verse 7. In Mark chapter 6, we have the account where Jesus Christ is asking the 12 disciples, or not really asking. He's sending out the 12 disciples in pairs of two. And he sets before them the instructions of what they are to do as he sends them out. And it's interesting, at the end of this passage, we'll read that they were tasked with anointing with oil, many who were sick. But let's go ahead and start in Mark chapter 6 in verse 7.

Mark 6, and now here in verse 7. He says, So we see another example here of anointing with oil. As it has been stated, and as we understand from Scripture, that oil represents God's Holy Spirit. We see the connection to this in several passages. Again, and I'd like to go through the first of the four passages. It's here in Acts 10, verse 38. And as a side note as you're turning there, you probably already know this, but there's no such Scripture that explicitly states that oil is a symbol of God's Spirit.

It's just we don't have that recorded in Scripture in that exact wording. But there are Scriptures that we'll go through that lead us to this conclusion, and this is the teaching of the church, that oil is symbolic of God's Spirit. And we'll see that when we go through these passages. The first thing again, Acts 10, verse 38, and here breaking into the context here, it says, So again, Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power, It says it implicitly here in Acts 10, verse 38. Another passage we'll look at is in Luke, chapter 4, starting in verse 16.

Luke 4, verse 16. And if your hand starts cramping from all the note-taking and writing on the Scriptures, you can blame me. It's okay. It just takes us back to high school and college all over again a little bit. Luke 4, verse 16. Speaking of Jesus during his earthly ministry, early in that earthly ministry, it says, And he was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah, and when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed upon him, and he began to say to them, Today the Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.

Of course, pointed them all back to himself, And the miracles that he was beginning to perform, and that he would continue to perform all the way up to giving his own life for our sins and for the sins of all of humanity. But notice again in verse 18, he says, A third verse that we should consider is in 2 Corinthians 1, verse 21. 2 Corinthians 1, verse 21.

Again, building the connection of oil and the representation of representing God's Holy Spirit in our eyes. 2 Corinthians 1, verse 21.

God's Spirit, that spirit dwells within us, starting at that point. And it says here, and Paul does, that he who has anointed us is God. He has set us apart, he has sealed us, and he has given us his Holy Spirit. And the fourth passage, let's turn to 1 John 2, verse 18. 1 John 2, verse 18 through... Well, actually we'll end up at verse 27, but we'll skip a few verses. But 1 John 2, verse 18. Here the Apostle John shares this in verse 18. 1 John 2, verse 18. Little children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard, that the antichrist is coming. Even now, many antichrists have come. The antichrists were the false teachers who pretended to be Christians, or some who actually claim to be Christ themselves. And he's saying these false antichrists have come, and he continues on and says, By which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. He's referencing this aspect that because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we have a spirit of discernment.

That can see the fruits of people who are not either giving instructions, not living their lives according to God's Word, that we can discern this. We can see this because of God's Spirit working in us. Again, verse 20. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. And then verse 27, the first part of verse 27. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you. Of course, we know it's God's Spirit that dwells within us. And so He's referencing that this anointing which you have received from Him abides in you. And so we see from Scripture, in these examples, of an anointing with the Holy Spirit shared here. And the other passages that we have read and that we will see, point to an anointing with oil. So putting the two together, we can conclude that oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. And it's one that the Church currently teaches. But what about the other aspects associated with anointing? One of being the laying on of hands. The specific aspect of laying on hands is very clear in the Bible through several examples we have recorded. And this was a practice that Jesus Himself did. One such example is in Mark 5 in verse 21 through 23. Mark 5 in verse 21. In this passage, a father is beseeching Christ to come heal his very sick daughter. And he references how Christ would do that with His laying on of hands. Mark 5 in verse 21, Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him, and He was by the sea. And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus, by name. And when He had saw Him, He fell at His feet, and begged Him earnestly, saying, My little daughter lies at the point of death, come and lay your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live. And so Jesus went with Him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him. We see Jesus doing this in another account in Luke chapter 13, verse 10 through 13. Luke 13, starting in verse 10. Luke 13 in verse 10, It says, Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over, and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him, and said to her, Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity. And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight and glorified God. We read another important aspect, this time from Mark chapter 16, in verse 15. So going back to Mark's Gospel account, Mark 16, verse 15. In this account, this is after the death and resurrection by the Father of Jesus Christ. And He came back to continue teaching the disciples. And in this passage, we see and we'll share the commission that was given to the church. And in this commission, there is an aspect of laying on hands for those who are sick. This is Mark 16, verses 15 through 18. Actually, we'll back up on verse and start in verse 14. It says, Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table, and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe. In My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues. They will take up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them. And they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.

So we've covered through these passages the basics of our teaching and practice of anointing the sick. But sometimes people wonder how an anointing physically occurs. Many of us have been anointed at different points in our life. I remember being anointed in my earliest memories of the church, being anointed. And so it goes back, for me, a long ways. But occasionally I come across someone, usually a teen or a child, who's never been anointed or could be someone new to the church. And so I'd like to, normally with them, I'll explain the process. Because I've even had some young children kind of almost get emotional or maybe even teary-eyed because they weren't sure what this meant. All they know is their mom or dad or their grandparent asked them to be anointed. And here comes this pastor, and they're thinking, the last time I went to the doctor, this didn't turn out so well. And so I usually sit down and explain to them what it is. This is not a shot. This is not going to hurt. Because there's questions people have. And so I'll work through this because I think some of our teens and maybe some of our kids who've never been anointed will find it a little bit interesting. As one of the elders and as other elders do, when someone approaches us asking to be anointed, we try to find a private location. Whether it be here in the church building, some place private, or whether it's in the hospital or someone's home. Just a private aspect where we can go to God in prayer as we see from Scripture. And in doing that, as a gentleman in the church and as the appropriate thing to do, if it's with a lady or with a teenager or a child, we take another person with us. We usually ask the person being anointed who they would like to come with them. And just so we stay above approach as elders within the church. But we'll go to some place private and I'll ask questions, in an order we'll ask questions about what it is that they're seeking to be anointed for. What health issues are they dealing with? Occasionally, it's more counseling than it is an anointing because that's why we talk to make sure as we look through Scriptures that it is an illness that needs to be anointed for. But we sit down and we talk with the person and just understand the issues that are going on. And before anointing them, I'll often ask if they're able to... Would they like to get down on their knees or are they able to? Or would they rather stand or even sit? Because as you know, we see through Scripture many different ways that people pray to God.

We've seen from standing and raising hands to kneeling to being completely prone. Laid out on the floor is a way that we see in Scripture, pray to God. Now, we don't do the prone method when anointing someone. That would be new for me if anybody ever asked me to do that. But we ask because, as you know, God understands the heart. He understands if a physical ailment keeps someone from being able to get to their knees.

And that could even be part of the problem they're being anointed for. And so God understands the heart. He understands the approach when we come before Him. And so, as we see in Scripture, the heart is more important than the physical. And so we'll ask what is most comfortable for the person in order to pray with them. And then at that point, I'll take a little bit of olive oil. And I always explain this to the kids because they have no idea what's in the crazy little vial I carry.

But it's normal olive oil, as anybody would use in their kitchen. And we take that and put a little bit on our fingertips and on our thumbs. Some elders may even put a little bit onto their hands. So when they lay their hands on someone, it's in direct contact. But most of the time, it's with their fingers. And then I'll go ahead and offer a prayer. An elder would offer a prayer at that point, asking based on what the person had shared.

Asking for God's help, asking for his healing. God knows everything we're going to before him with, but he wants that conversation with us. And he wants that personal touch from us in our words as we care for one another and as we go before his throne. And through that prayer, I personally remind God that it's through the stripes of Christ's bore in his physical body that we can be healed, both spiritually and also physically.

And we're so thankful that we can come to God at any time, day or night, with their problems, with their challenges. And recognize how humble we are that we have this relationship with God as we come before him, whether it's privately or on behalf of another person, as in the case with an anointing.

And then midway through the prayer is when I'll take the fingers and have the oil on it and I'll place them on someone's head and on their forehead. And I'll keep them there. Other elders will use their whole hands. As we continue to the prayer, the actual anointing, while we continue through the prayer. And as we do always, we end the prayer in our Savior's name, in Jesus Christ's name, and we end the prayer.

It's one of our more intimate, as I mentioned, services that we can provide because it's actually one of the ways that God has prescribed us as brothers and sisters to care and look after one another in this way. And it's truly a humbling opportunity to be invited in because, as we see in Scripture, this is an act of faith. And it's true, the act of faith, that one can be healed. And so without the faith, there is no healing.

And so to be brought into that environment and that relationship is humbling. And it's a very moving, often, process as well because we realize the pain that illness brings in, the challenges that we face as human beings, that we're not all young and unbeatable like we once were. Life has its way to humble us, doesn't it? I got humbled this week. My back went out again. It's doing better. I got ridiculed as—not ridiculed, that's too harsh of a word. I got made fun of a little bit in Ann Arbor. They're like, see, it's because you went on that snow tubing hill with the kids at winter camp. See what you did to yourself?

But we recognize that we're made of dust. And to be brought in to be asked to anoint someone is a humbling experience to be brought in in that way. One of the things that sometimes it's important to also share in a message like this is when we do anoint someone, we anoint their head. We don't anoint a specific body part that could be causing the problem or they're dealing with. The teaching that we have and the example we follow is to anoint the head with oil. And that is what we do. And so that's pretty much the process for anyone who's never been anointed or in the way that most of the elders within the church and practice this teaching that we have. A question that is sometimes asked or some ponder is if healing is guaranteed after one is anointed. The straightforward answer is no. Physical healing is not guaranteed. But let me also offer that not being healed right away does not indicate a lack of faith. But again, we do need faith to be healed. We see this in Scripture. But to share an example of one who was not healed based on everything that we can see from Scripture was never healed of an ailment that he suffered from, even though he went to God three different times asking for this healing. This is the example of Paul and the thorn in his flesh, which is found in 2 Corinthians 12 and verse 7. 2 Corinthians 12 and we'll read verses 7 through 10. Again, Paul was, as we are aware, suffered from some ailment. We're not exactly sure what it was, what he was suffering from, but we do know he went to God three times asking for it to be removed. And we see the account that Paul shares himself here in 2 Corinthians 12 and verse 7.

That's a wonderful and encouraging passage we have from Paul here because, again, we know our weaknesses. We know that we're just made of dust and that as we age and as we battle through life challenges, it doesn't take a lot to bring this body to a screeching halt. But yet Paul was encouraged by God when God told him, my grace is sufficient for you, and my strength is made perfect in weakness. We know that it's only through God that we can get through the challenges, and it's only through these challenges often that we build that character that he wants to see in our life. And when that character is built, that fruit develops, we can't take glory in those things. We can only give glory to God because in our weakness, we can see his strength because his strength is made perfect in weakness. Paul goes on and says, Therefore, most gladly I'd rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distress, for Christ's sake. And then we're going to be left with this beautiful capstone on what he's sharing here. He says, For when I am weak, then I am strong. When we are weak, and God is the one who props us up when he gives us that encouragement, when he helps us and lifts us up, in those weaknesses we can be strong because of God working in our lives.

Again, we aren't exactly sure what this thorn in the flesh was that Paul dealt with, but even though he pleaded with God three times, we do not have recorded that he was ever healed of this infirmity.

Now, you and I, we wouldn't question Paul's faith, would we? We wouldn't, or shouldn't, question anyone's faith who isn't being healed when we're made aware of someone going through something and it doesn't seem like the healing is coming according to their timeline or what we would want to see. We don't question people because this isn't what a Christian should do. But again, considering Paul, would we ever question that he was weak in the faith? Would we say that the messages that he shared, the words that he gave us in Scripture, the miracles he performed, the healings, enduring those tribulations of trials that, oh man, I would have wanted to run from. We would never say that Paul was weak in faith, but yet we don't ever see that he was healed of this thorn in the flesh in a physical way. All that is done in our lives must be according to God's will for our lives. And of course, this includes healing.

In sharing this account with Laura this week, she felt that it would be appropriate for me to share one of her personal stories of a challenge that her and I have faced in our life.

As you know, we've had our health trials, we've had our challenges, but one of the most difficult has been secondary infertility.

We have been tremendously blessed to be able to have Kelsey, and I recognize there's members in our congregations that have not been able to have any children, and so I share this carefully. But we've never been able to have another child, and we sought after God's will. We were anointed to have more children, praying that God, in his timing, he would provide us a family. This is what Laura and I both envisioned when you're starting off in life and thinking of having children. You want more? And we see the promises and the blessings that come from families. And so we continue to seek God's direction, God's healing. We were anointed at least two times, that we can remember, for his healing.

We taught Kelsey through those years that sometimes God says yes, sometimes he says no, sometimes he says not right now. It was hard through those years. Kelsey would verbalize that she wanted a sibling, and we could all appreciate that in that way.

But one of the hardest parts is the emotional side of bearing this trial. Laura would get together with other ladies in the church, some family members who were on their second or third child. They were pregnant. They were talking about buying this, doing that.

And she would come home in tears some days, because of the emotional hurt of not being able to be blessed with more children. And of course, this would hurt my heart. And this would happen from time to time. And Laura didn't want to be one that didn't have emotion, didn't have a good friendship. She wanted to be around her friends. She wanted to be around her family who were enjoying these special times of life. And so she asked if she could be anointed for the emotional healing of not being able to have children, any more children. And so she was. And as she expresses almost immediately, God granted her that healing, that she could go and be with friends who were pregnant. She could be with our family members who were excited about their brand new baby and things like that. And she could enjoy in their joy and not feel saddened. And in that moment, God did not ever heal us physically to have more children, but he brought emotional healing to Laura through that anointing. And it's one of those that, as you can see, can still be raw as it is for any person who's going through a challenge, whether it's infertility, secondary infertility, whether it be a cancer diagnosis, whether it be anything that we go through, and we're battled and challenged with. But God isn't removing the physical problem. But God can help us emotionally. God can help us through his strength and his comfort that often we need when we're going through severe trials.

As we're instructed to do in James 5 and verse 14, when he says, Anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. It's an important aspect that we must not gloss over in the name of the Lord. Barnes notes, shares this about this aspect. He says, Healing comes by the authority or direction of the Lord, or as an act in accordance with his will, and that will meet with his approval. That's again from Barnes notes. We know that it's through God's decision, what's best for our lives, what he's going to set before us.

It's according to his will. And sometimes that will is for emotional healing, even though the physical is not being granted at the time. And that's something we can pray for and at times be anointed for as well. I'd like to pivot just a bit and to consider, as Christ was God in the flesh, all things he did and all things that he accomplished while man, while on this earth, all was done according to God's will. Let's look at a few passages that speaks to this. John 5 and verse 19 is the first one.

John 5 and verse 19.

It says, And then in verse 30.

And then in chapter 6, one chapter over, in John 6 and verse 32, we see another interesting aspect as we tie it in with anointing by oil and healing. This is in John 6 and verse 32. Again, Christ in this passage repeats that he has come to do the will of the Father. But there's another interesting aspect which speaks to the topic of healing and the ultimate healing that we all seek in life. This is John 6 and verse 32.

That passage that we're so familiar with, we read this at Passover each year, that Jesus is the bread of life. He's that sustenance that we need to empower us forward, to battle through challenges, to overcome physical illnesses at times when they want to just hold us down and keep us back. He is that bread of life that we can have salvation through his life and through his death and have our sins forgiven. He goes on to say in verse 36, And this is the will of him who sent me that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day. I appreciated the sermonette, again, tying into today's sermon about what we have out in front of us, that finish line for you and me. Eternal life with God forever, spirit, beings with him and his Son. And ultimately, if life comes as it does, and we battle through our physical ailments, ones that maybe will never be healed from, ones that could even take our life, they can't take our eternal life. This is that goal that God has out there for all of us. This is when that true healing will 100% come.

So while maybe we pray, maybe we're anointed, and maybe we're not healed of an ailment that we have in this physical life, we have before us eternal life, everlasting life, as Christ says here, that will come at that last day when we are raised up spirit beings.

This focus, the focus that Christ had consistently through his ministry and always was on the Father and the will of the Father for his life. This was of the utmost importance to Christ, that even on the eve of his crucifixion and death, this did not leave his mind as he was even praying to the Father.

Let's turn to Mark 14 and verse 34 and to read what was on Christ's mind in that moment.

Mark 14 and verse 34. Here is on the eve of his crucifixion and death. He's with the disciples in the garden. It's late. They're falling asleep. And he says this to them in Mark 14 and verse 34. Then he said to them, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful even to death. Stay here and watch. And he went a little further and fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. Pretty much praying, Father, if you can take this cup, which we'll read here in a moment, I'm not going to stop you, because he was human. He understood what was coming forth in the early morning and the next day. Verse 36, he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. He's recognizing you can do all things, God. You could take this away in a heartbeat. And he says, All things is possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will.

So even in the most challenging circumstance that none of us have ever faced in this way, Christ was still kept his focus on the will of the Father, saying, Not my will, but what you will. It's just a tremendous example we're left from our Lord and Savior. I'd like to look to one additional parallel count of this same passage, because they add one additional scripture that I think is critical for us to consider with today's topic. This is found in Luke 22 and verse 42. Again, it's the parallel count of what we just read here in Mark. But there's one additional scripture that as we consider the challenges that we face through physical ailments at times, the setting apart by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and then the actual anointing with oil, as we see described in James chapter 5. There's an interesting aspect that is added here to this parallel count here in Luke 22 verse 42.

Repeating what we just read from Mark, but Luke 22 verse 42, saying, There are times when we battle an illness that God does not provide healing in the timeline that we wanted or prayed for, or maybe even requested, of course. But God always offers His encouragement and His support in those times. He knows the endgame. He knows what He wants to see us develop in our lives. He knows the fruits that we have the potential to begin to bear. And at times, He says no to our answers, to our requests of being healed. Sometimes He says, Down the road I will. Or sometimes He says, No, not yet. And sometimes down the road is what He tells us at different times. But through that time, God always offers His encouragement, His support, and His love in the times when we most need it. It's kind of like, again, it's a child-parent-child relationship. We want to give our kids everything. We want to make it easy for them as much as we can.

But we recognize the need to sometimes battle through challenges to develop the fruit that we know they need for their life. But never through that process are we not there to offer our support, to lend a hand, to give them encouragement, to be that cheerleader on the sideline for their life. And that's the God that we serve to. He always wants to be that encourager for us, to prop us up, to give us the help we need through these challenging times. Even if the answer is no or not yet. He not only does that for us, but He did it with His own Son, sending an angel to strengthen Him.

We must keep in mind that regardless of the feeling comes quickly after being anointed, or if healing is delayed, according to our timeline, ultimate healing will come from God when we are resurrected and become spirit beings in the family of God.

Another aspect when we consider anointing with oil. Sometimes we desire to be anointed by an elder in the church, but there isn't one always available who can anoint us in a timely fashion for a number of reasons.

When an anointing cannot happen in person, there is another scriptural method mentioned to seek God's healing. We find this in Acts 19, verses 11 and 12. Acts 19, verses 11 and 12. This complements our teaching on anointing with oil, as we see in James, chapter 5, and is another practice that we in the church do today, based on this scripture found here in Acts 19, verses 11 and 12. This is now, God worked unusual miracles by the hand of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits went out of them. From this passage, we see that pieces of cloth from the Apostle Paul were used to extend the gift of healing beyond his physical presence. Following this example, an elder will at times send an anointing cloth to a person when it is requested. So, to understand this in the context of what we do, an elder within the church, whether it be over a phone call, sometimes someone will call and say, well, can you please just send a cloth? And we honor that request. I often will ask someone if I can come actually anoint them, but if they would rather, I'll send a cloth. I'm happy to do that.

But it could be here in the congregation where someone says, I have someone at home, he's not feeling well, or she's not feeling well, could you please anoint a cloth and I'll take it with me home? I've done that before. But what I would do in those instances is I'll take a cloth and the oil, olive oil, and I'll go into a private place and I'll pray as if the person is there. And when it comes to the point of anointing them in person, as we normally do, I anoint the cloth with a little bit of oil, continue the prayer, and at the end of the prayer, finish it as we normally would in Christ's name, and then take that cloth and either mail it to a person or give it to someone who will take it and pass it along to someone else, fulfilling what we see in Scripture in this way.

With this, a little note about the cloth is that for us who've maybe never had one sent to them, this cloth should be considered a one-time use. It's not one that you hang on to and use multiple times because of the aspect that it was prayed over and anointed for the specific issue. And it should not be saved or reused or given to another person.

I remember receiving anointing cloth at home as a kid, and Mom would hold it on my forehead as she would pray, asking for God's healing, knowing that an elder in the church had already prayed over the cloth, but Mom would offer a prayer for me in that regard. And I remember one of the neat aspects of a kid, because how often do you get to play with fire?

But Mom would let me burn the cloth. We would take kitchen tongs and hold it and light it on fire, and that would be how we disposed of the cloth. Now, there's no scriptural reference of how to do it, but it was just an interesting memory from my time growing up in the church, that that would be how we would make it a one-use. It would be used, and then it would be disposed of, and there's multiple ways that the cloth can be disposed of. Just a little, I thought you might find that kind of funny or interesting, how I did it. I'm not a pyro to this day. I don't really go around burning a lot of things, so it didn't rub off on any bad way or anything. I just want you guys to know that.

One last note on the subject of anointing is an important one to consider as well. The request to be anointed should be made by one desiring to be anointed, or on behalf of one that resides in our household or that we have a relationship with, that we care for. For example, like a parent for their child. A parent can make a request for anointing for their children. We've even had some adults do that for other adults that they're very close with in the way that they live in their home. It could be a spouse, it could be a disabled adult or a disabled person that another loved one makes this request. Asking for them to be anointed. It could be someone who's not capable of asking for it themselves but is under your care. But you see that the important aspect is that someone who's able should make the request to be anointed. Requesting an anointing is an act of faith in God, who is the ultimate healer of our lives. Barnes Notes shares something interesting in this regard, and I'll share the passage with you. Again, this is from Barnes Notes. It may be added as worthy of note that the apostle says that they should call for the elders of the church. That is, they should send for them. They should not wait for them to hear of their sickness as they might happen to, but they should cause them to be informed of it and give them an opportunity of visiting them and praying with them.

Nothing is more common than for persons, even members of the church, to be sick a long time and to presume that their pastor must know all about it. And then they wonder that he does not come to see them and think hard of him because he did not. A pastor cannot be supposed to know everything, nor can it be presumed that he knows when a person is sick any more than he can know anything else unless he is apprised of it.

And many hard thoughts and many suspicions of neglect would be avoided if, when persons are sick, they would in some way inform their pastor of it. It should always be presumed that he is ready to visit the sick. But how can he go unless he is in some way apprised of the illness of those who need his counsel and his prayers? The sick send for their family physician. Why should they presume that their pastor will know of their illness any more than that their physician?

I found that was interesting just to share as a reminder for all of us that it is our responsibility as we see from the Apostle James that if anyone among you is sick, let him call for the elders of the church. And as healing is through faith, this request to be anointed is an act of faith on both God and the instructions he has provided us to follow.

It's not always easy to open our lives to another person, whether it be your pastor, whether it be an elder in the church, whether it be our family here at times. It takes humility at times to admit that I'm not as strong as I once was. I'm not as strong as I'd like to be. I have these challenges. I have this ailment. And I'd like to be anointed. But as we grow in faith, as we grow as a family and become more comfortable, whether it be an anointing request or whether it be sharing a prayer request before the congregation, it shows that this is the heart that is behind wanting to invite others their prayers, their lives as we collectively go forward in life as a family.

It's a wonderful way that we can invite others into our struggles. And as we see in Scripture, it's part of the requirement of being anointed when we are sick, is to make that request known to an elder within the church.

To compliment this, there's a passage in 1 Peter 5, verses 6 and 7. And this will be our closing passage today. 1 Peter 5, verse 6 and 7. And 1 Peter 5, verses 6 and 7.

2 Peter 5, verses 7. We go to God and we express in humility the way that God looks after our lives and in times when we need his help. It's a beautiful thing that we can go before his throne at any time, that he's always there, always aware of what's going on in our lives. But he wants us to have that relationship, that talk with him. And it says we can cast our cares upon him because he cares for us.

But it takes humility that we see here to be able to do that with God and with one another, whether it be a congregational prayer request or whether it be letting your fellow elder, letting one of the elders know of a request to be anointed. And so it's a beautiful relationship that God has called us all to, that we're not little islands by ourselves. We're not our own little worlds and we have to struggle through life and struggle through being a Christian on our own. He's called us to be part of a community, and this community lifts me up, and I hope the community lifts you up. Because as we go through life and we need help and we battle through challenges, we battle through health challenges, having this community together is exactly what we need to continue going forward and being a safe place to battle through this as we go each towards the kingdom of God. As we have looked at today, being healed by God of a physical challenge is one of the most intimate ways that God works in our lives. We know that God and His love cannot be measured. There's no way that we can measure His love, His mercy. It's without boundaries. God wants us to live full and wonderful lives, but we are physical, and God completely understands this. God ultimately will transform our physical bodies into a spiritual existence with Him when Jesus returns to earth and brings healing and help to a physical world which desperately needs Him. This transformation from physical to spiritual will take away the need to be healed of any health challenges like we encounter today.

But until that day, we will continue to live a physical life as God gives us length of days, and we will each continue to battle health challenges from time to time. We can be so thankful that God works in the lives of His children today, and it's through our belief in faith in God that we can be healed of our illnesses and health problems. And for this, we can be very thankful. We are in God's wonderful and capable hands, and nothing apart from His perfect will for our lives ever occurs. We are wonderful, beautiful children to our great God, and everything that happens in our life is according to His perfect will for our lives.