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. James 5:14-15 ESV
From the moment I first encountered the practice of anointing the sick with oil, I wondered what the oil had to do with it. I did it because the Bible said to, and we experienced several notable healings. But I still couldn’t understand the purpose of the oil. Wouldn’t the prayer of faith alone heal the sick?
Over time, I came to believe that the oil was symbolic. I learned that the elders were supposed to pray “over” people, not “for” them. I also discovered that the sick person in verse 14 is described as “weary” in verse 15. I wondered, “What does oil signify in the Bible?”
After His baptism, Jesus gave us a clue when He announced, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for He has anointed me.” This was an anointing for office. The Jews understood. For them, anointing with oil was an integral part of their faith tradition. Consider the symbolic uses of oil in the Old Testament:
- Kings were anointed with oil to serve in their offices. This was done to set them apart and empower them for service, just as Jesus was anointed (1 Samuel 10:1).
- The oil of joy was poured out at weddings and at coronations. (Psalm 45:7). Hebrews 1:9 tells us that Jesus was anointed with the oil of joy.
- Being in the company of people who are united and in agreement is like the oil that runs down the high priest’s garment when he is anointed for office. It drips from the hem of his garment. Jesus is our high priest now, and the oil still drips from his hem. (Psalm 133; Matthew 14:36).
- The specific kind of anointing referred to by James comes from Psalm 23:5, which says, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” This anointing was specifically given to guests who had traversed the arid desert. Before sitting down for dinner, they were anointed with special oil designed to refresh and renew the weary traveler.
You get the point. Physical oil may or may not be helpful for healing, but the oil of the Spirit certainly is. It sets the sick person apart as belonging to God and gives them grace to serve as a believer-priest. It refreshes those who are weary from their journey. The personal presence of the Holy Spirit lets the weak and discouraged Christian know that he is not alone.
When we gather and pray over those who are struggling with healing, we are invoking the power of the mighty Holy Spirit to move them from despair to hope, from weariness to strength, and from sorrow to joy. Now we can pray the prayer of faith. Let’s do this!
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