John 11:3
“Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →In urgent need, Mary and Martha appeal to Jesus not by describing Lazarus's condition, but by naming the bond between him and the Lord.
Context
The sisters have witnessed Jesus' love for their brother. They know the intimacy between him and Lazarus. In their desperation, they call upon that relationship as their basis for hope, not their own arguments or claims.
What Does John 11:3 Mean?
Notice what the sisters do not say. They do not detail the fever, the wasting sickness, the medical hope they have lost. Instead they say, simply: 'He whom thou lovest is sick.' They have learned to appeal not to logic or urgency, but to love. It is a brilliant and heartbreaking move. They hold up the bond between Jesus and Lazarus as if it were a lamp in darkness, asking the Lord to remember what he feels for this man.
This teaches us the language of true prayer. We do not move the heart of God by compiling arguments or proving our worthiness. We pray by naming the love that already exists between us and the Lord, by saying, in effect, 'You love this person, this cause, this ache in my heart. You see what I see.' We stand on the promises he has already made, not the promises we think he owes us.
Application
When we face pain, invite Jesus into it not by explaining why he should help, but by reminding him of the love he already bears for those we ask him to save.