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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
"Behold, he whom thou lovest is sick." They desired to draw on Christ to pity, for they still gave heed to Him as to a man. This is plain from what they say, "If thou hadst been here, he had not died," and from their saying, not, "Behold, Lazarus is sick," but "Behold, he whom thou lovest is sick."
Gregory of Nyssa
One of the Lord's companions and friends is ill (Lazarus is the sick man's name); and the Lord deprecates any visiting of His friend, though far away from the sick man, that in the absence of the Life, death might find room and power to do his own work by the agency of disease.
Cyril of Alexandria
The women send to the Lord, ever wishing to have Him near them, but on this occasion sending under a fair pretext on account of him who was sick. For they believed that if Christ would only appear the sufferer would be set free from his disease. And they gently remind Him of the love which He had for the sick man, drawing Him thither especially by this means; for they knew that He took thought for this man. …
Western Saints
Augustine of Hippo
A cruel sickness had seized Lazarus; a wasting fever was eating away the body of the wretched man day by day: his two sisters sat sorrowful at his bedside, grieving for the sick youth continually. They sent to Jesus: Therefore his sisters sent unto Him, saying, Lord, behold he whom Thou lovest is sick. (Tr. xlix. 5) They did not say, Come and heal; they dared not say, Speak the word there, and it shall be done here; but only, Behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick. …
Thomas Aquinas
1475 The sisters of Lazarus, who were taking care of him, inform Jesus of his illness. Grief-stricken at the misfortune of the ailing youth, the sisters sent to him, Jesus, saying, Lord, he whom you love is ill. This message brings to mind three things for consideration. First, we see that the friends of God are sometimes afflicted with bodily illness; thus, if someone has a bodily illness, this is not a sign that the person is not a friend of God. …
Bonaventure
His sisters therefore sent. Here is touched upon the second point, namely the announcement of the illness made by the sisters of Lazarus to the Lord; on account of which he says: His sisters therefore sent to him, saying: Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick. …
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