The passage raises a number of difficult interpretive questions. What kind of suffering does James have in view in verse 13? What type of sickness is in view in verse 14? Why are the prayers of the pastors different from those of other believers (vs. 14-15)? How does sickness relate to sin (vs. 15)? And the list of questions could go on and on. However, the key to answering those questions and properly interpreting the passage lies in understanding it in its context. Context provides the flow of thought in which any given passage of Scripture exists. Therefore, before attempting to interpret this challenging passage, a review of the context in which it was written is essential and helpful. James wrote his epistle to Jewish believers who had been forced to flee from Palestine by the persecution recorded in Acts 8:1-4. Today, we want to focus in on who is afflicted and who is merry. There is a clear motivation for prayer and praising.