Charles Spurgeon Commentary John 11:21

"Martha therefore said unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." — John 11:21 (ASV)

Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

There seems to have been just a tinge of reproach in Martha's words, and Mary said exactly the same words to their dear Master and Friend a little later.

I have often heard Martha and Mary talk in this fashion: "Oh, if we had only had another doctor!", or, "If our dear friend had not gone to the seaside.", or, possibly, "If he had gone to the seaside, he might not have died."

Well now, beloved friends, you have grief enough in having lost your relative or friend without adding to it by these unwise suppositions about what might have happened if you had done something else.

Do not fall into that mistake and wound yourselves and grieve your best friend by unnecessary and useless regrets.

Then Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother had not died.

They had often said to one another, "Oh, we wish the Lord had come." They had sent for him. They felt sure that he would come.

But, alas, their brother had died before the Master had arrived; and now this thought which was uppermost in their hearts is uppermost in their speech, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother had not died."