Daily Devotion for March 13, 2006

To Jerusalem with the ComPASSIONATE Christ
Day 13

 

A Young Man

 

A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.  Mark 14: 51-52

 

In these verses, Mark includes an aside, which seems to have little bearing on the story as a whole. Except that the tale of the young man running away naked adds color and atmosphere to the scene, it seems superfluous. Is it? Who was he? Various suggestions have been made.

 

Some say that he was James the Just, the brother of Jesus, the reason being that he was known for wearing a single cloth garment. Others have suggested John, as the youngest apostle, or a youth that had served them in the upper room, or the son of the gardener of Gethsemane. By far the most likely suggestion, however, is that Mark is referring to himself.

 

Mark was not one of the first disciples; he was of the next generation, as we can tell from the story of his exploits in mission, recorded in the Book of the Acts. His Gospel is, according to tradition, based upon the remembrances of the elderly Peter, just before his martyrdom. In verses 51 and 52, is Mark adding a personal note, an "I was there"?

 

The young man was following Jesus, not the crowd. We can imagine that he had been in bed, at his Jerusalem home, where he lived with his mother (Acts 12:12). He heard the disciples passing by and recognized them as followers of the great teacher whom he had listened to in the temple. So he put on the loose robe beneath which he had slept and ‘followed’ them. Then, having witnessed the great and terrifying events, he ran for cover, only to be stopped by the mob and the robe torn from his back.

 

Mark is grounding the story in his own experience. It is something we all need to do.

 

Prayer
Lord, I, like the young man, many times run away when things get tense.  I am afraid in some situations to be identified as one of Your disciples because I am afraid of what might happen to me.  Help me have the courage to stand with You!  Amen

 

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