John 11:20 (KJV)

Passage

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

Nearby Context

John 11:18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:

John 11:19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

John 11:20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

John 11:21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

John 11:22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "martha", "soon", "heard", "jesus", "coming", "went", "mary", and "still". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "martha" and "soon", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "And many of the Jews came to..." into verse 21's "Then said Martha unto Jesus Lord if...", so "martha" and "soon" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "martha" and "soon" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.