A couple of things pop out at me in this verse. First is the fact they feel compelled to contact Jesus. This leads me to believe they are close. Jesus must have visited their home more than the one time he is mentioned as being there. They had sat at his feet to listen to his words of hope and encouragement. They had experienced his help during the dark days of Mary and her reconciliation back to her family.
Yet, in spite of this closeness, when they send word to their friend they do so in the most formal way. “Lord,” they begin their entreating to him. This must have been their way of communicating the seriousness of their communique. This was not simply a friendly message among friends. “Lord” is a confession, more than simply a moniker of affection. The sisters are pleading with their Lord on behalf of their brother, “the one [Jesus] love[s] much.”
How does your familiarity with Jesus affect the way you communicate with him? I find myself often speaking out loud with God. It flows out of an event, a circumstance, a challenge, or even a reaction to a tragedy being faced by a friend or family member. Not all prayers are moments when the knee must be bent. Sometimes the best prayers are conversations on the road, stuck in traffic, in the middle of a solo cross-country trek in a car. All too often I am guilty of empty and mindless prayers I utter when the ritual is more rooted than the experience of speaking to the Almighty. I want so much more than the bland. I am sure my Lord does too.
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