In Gethsemane, the disciples are all fleeing, abandoning Jesus to his fate. And now we find one of the oddest episodes in the Gospel of Mark. A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, 52 he fled naked, leaving his garment behind. – Mark 14:51–52
In Gethsemane, the disciples are all fleeing, abandoning Jesus to his fate. And now we find one of the oddest episodes in the Gospel of Mark.
A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, 52 he fled naked, leaving his garment behind. – Mark 14:51–52
The gospel of Mark is traditionally believed to be the recollections of the apostle Peter, who, as an old man, told Mark the story of Jesus, and Mark wrote it down. However, many believe that Mark, as a young man, was also himself an eyewitness to many of the events in Jesus’ ministry.
If so, then this strange episode makes sense, because this young man could well be none other than the author, Mark, himself. And he chose to include this embarrassing episode to call attention to his own cowardice in the face of the bravery of Jesus.
The reason why Mark fled basically in his underwear isn’t clear. It could have been because he had taken his clothes off to sleep, and that the mob had caught him by surprise. Or perhaps the mob had actually gone to grab some of Jesus’ followers, and in the tussle, they had been left holding onto the young man’s clothes while he made his getaway. Whatever happened, it wasn’t Mark’s most glorious moment!
Are there episodes in your life with Jesus of which you’re not entirely proud? Do you laugh when you remember them, or do you cringe in shame? If Mark were writing about your story with Jesus, what do you think he would include and what would he leave out?
