51<\/strong>. a certain young man<\/em> ] This forms an episode as characteristic of St Mark as that of the two disciples journeying to Emmaus is of St Luke. Some have conjectured he was the owner of the garden of Gethsemane; others Lazarus (see Professor Plumptre’s Article on “Lazarus” in Smith’s Bible Dict<\/em>.); others Joses, the brother of the Lord; others, a youth of the family where Jesus had eaten the Passover. It is far more probable that it was St Mark himself, the son of Mary, the friend of St Peter. The minuteness of the details given points to him. Only one well acquainted with the scene from personal knowledge, probably as an eyewitness, would have introduced into his account of it so slight and seemingly so trivial an incident as this.<\/p>\n having a linen cloth<\/em> ] He had probably been roused from sleep, or just preparing to retire to rest in a house somewhere in the valley of Kidron, and he had nothing to cover him except the sindn<\/em> or upper garment, but in spite of this he ventured in his excitement to press on amongst the crowd. The word sindn<\/em> in Mat 27:59<\/span>, Mar 15:46<\/span> and Luk 23:53<\/span> is applied to the fine linen<\/em>, which Joseph of Arimatha bought for the Body of Jesus. The LXX. use the word in Jdg 14:12<\/span> and in Pro 31:24<\/span> for “ fine under garments<\/em>.”<\/p>\n the young men<\/em> ] This is omitted by Lachmann, Tischendorf, and Tregelles. The crowd was probably astonished at the strange apparition.<\/p>\n Mar 14:51-52<\/span><\/p>\n And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Haste in religion<\/strong><\/p>\n It strikes me that this certain young man was none other than Mark himself. He was probably asleep; and, aroused by a great clamour, he asked what it was about. The information was speedily given-The guards have come to arrest Jesus of Nazareth. Moved by sudden impulse, not thinking of what he was doing, he rises from his bed, rushes down, pursues the troopers, dashes into the midst of their ranks, as though he alone would attempt the rescue, when all the disciples had fled. The moment they lay hold upon him his heroic spasm is over; his enthusiasm evaporates; he runs away, leaves the cloth that was loosely wrapped about his body behind, and makes his escape. There have been many who acted like Mark since then. First, however, you will say, Why suppose it to be Mark? I grant you it is merely a supposition, but yet it is supported by the strongest chain of probabilities. It was common among the evangelists to relate transactions in which they themselves took part without mentioning their own names. Whoever it was, the only person likely to know it was the man himself. I cannot think that anyone else would have been likely to tell it to Mark. Again, we know that such a transaction as this was quite in keeping with Marks common character: the evangel of Mark is the most impulsive of all the evangels. He is a man who does everything straightway; full of impulse, dash, fire, flash; the thing must be done, and done forthwith. Once more: the known life of John Mark tends to make it very probable that he would do such a thing as is referred to in the text. As soon as ever Paul and Barnabas set out on their missionary enterprise they were attended by Mark. As long as they were sailing across the blue waters, and as long as they were in the island of Cyprus, Mark stuck to them. Nay, while they travelled along the coast of Asia Minor, we find they had John Mark to be their minister; but the moment they went up into the inland countries, among the robbers and the mountain streams-as soon as ever the road began to be a little too rough, John Mark left them. His missionary zeal had oozed out. For these reasons, the supposition that it was John Mark appears to me not to be utterly baseless.<\/p>\n I. <\/strong>Here is hasty following. John Mark does not wait to robe himself, but just as he is, he dashes out for the defence of his Lord. Without a moments thought, taking no sort of consideration, down he goes into the cold night air to try and deliver his Master. Fervent zeal waited not for chary prudence. There was something good and something bad in this, something to admire as well as something to censure. Beloved, it is a good and right thing for us to follow Christ, and to follow Him at once; and it is a brave thing to follow Him when His other disciples forsake Him and flee. Would that all professors of religion had the intrepidity of Mark! The most of men are too slow; fast enough in the world, but, ah! how slow in the things of God! Of all people that dilly-dally in this world, I think professed servants of God are the most drowsy and fuddling. How slothful are the ungodly, too, in Divine things; tell them they are sick, they hasten to a surgeon; tell them that their title deeds are about to be attacked, and they will defend them with legal power; but tell them, in Gods name, that their soul is in danger, and they think it matters so little, and is of so small import, that they will wait on, and wait on, and wait on, and doubtless continue to wait on till they find themselves lost forever. The warnings of the gospel all bid you shun procrastination. I do beseech you fly to Jesus, and fly to Jesus now, though even it should be in the hurry of John Mark. I change my note. There is a haste that we most reprove. The precipitate running of Mark suggests an admonition that should put you on your guard. I am afraid some people make a hasty profession through the persuasion of friends. Nor are there a mere few who get their religion through excitement. This furnishes another example of injudicious haste. Many profess Christ and think to follow Him without counting the cost. They had never sought Gods strength; they had never been emptied of their own works and their own conceits; consequently, in their best estate they were vanity; they were like the snail that melts as it crawls, and not like the snowflake upon the Alps, which gathers strength in its descent, till it becomes a ponderous avalanche. God make you not meteors or shooting stars, but stars fixed in their places. I want you to resemble, not the ignis fatuus <\/em>of the morass, but the steady beacon of the rock. There is a phosphorescence that creeps over the summer sea, but who is ever lighted by it to the port of peace? And there is a phosphorescence which comes over some mens minds. Very bright it seems, but it is of no value; it brings no man to heaven.<\/p>\n II. <\/strong>It remains for me to notice the hasty running away. Some who run well at first have hardly breath enough to keep the pace up, and so turn aside for a little comfortable ease, and do not get into the road again. There are two kinds of desertion which we denounce as hasty running away; the one temporary, the other final. Think what a fool Mark made of himself. Here he comes; here is your hero. What wonders he is going to do! Here is a Samson for you. Perhaps he will slay his thousand men. But, no; he runs away before he strikes a single blow. He has not even courage enough to be taken prisoner. How everybody in the crowd must have laughed at the venturesome coward-at the dastardly bravo! Therefore abstain from these inconsistencies for your own characters sake. Besides, how much damage you do the Church! And think what must be the dying bed of an apostate. Did you ever read of the groans of Spira? That was a book circulated about the time of the Reformation-a book so terrible that even a man of iron could scarcely read it. Spira knew the gospel, but yet went back to the Church of Rome. His conscience woke on his dying bed, and his cries and shrieks were too terrible to be endured by his nurses; and as to his language, it was despair written out at full length in capital letters. My eminent predecessor, Mr. Benjamin Keach, published a like narrative of the death of John Child, who became a minister of the gospel, but afterwards went back to the Church from which he seceded, and died in the most frightful despair. May God deliver you from the death bed of any man who has lived a professed Christian, and dies an apostate from the faith! But what must be the apostates doom when his naked soul goes before God? <\/em>(C. H. Spurgeon.<\/em>)<\/p>\n Verse 51. A certain young man<\/B><\/I>] Probably raised from his sleep by the noise which the rabble made who came to apprehend Jesus, having wrapped the sheet or some of the bed-clothing about him, became thereby the more conspicuous: on his appearing, he was seized; but as they had no way of holding<\/I> him, but only by the cloth which was wrapped round him, he disengaged himself from that, and so escaped out of their hands. This circumstance is not related by any other of the evangelists.<\/P><\/p>\n This part of the history is only recorded by Mark. What hath made some affirm that this was St. John I cannot tell. John was one of the eleven that were with Christ when Judas came, and though we find him asleep a little before, yet we read not that he was gone to bed, nor can conceive there was any at or near the place. The garment in which he was, in all probability, was a night garment. It is certain it was a loose garment, he could not else, when he was apprehended, have so soon quit himself of it; and being quit of that it seemeth he was quit of all, for the text saith he <\/P> fled from them naked; <\/B>nor doth the text give him the honour to call him a disciple of Christ at large. Probably it was some young man who, being in his bed, and hearing the noise of the multitude going by his lodging with swords and staves, got up, slipped on his night garment, and followed them, to see what the matter was; and they having apprehended Christ, he followed them. And possibly his unusual habit made them take the more notice of him, staying when the disciples were all fled. Nor can the reason be well given why Mark should record such a passage, unless it were to tell us what we must expect from the rage of persecutors, viz. that our own innocency should not defend us. This young man was not concerned in Christ, only came as a spectator, without any arms. But the sword of persecution useth not to distinguish perfectly. The basilisk (they say) will fly at the picture of a man. <\/P> <\/p>\n And there followed him a certain young man<\/strong>,…. Some think this was John, the beloved disciple, and the youngest of the disciples; others, that it was James, the brother of our Lord; but he does not seem to be any of the disciples of Christ, since he is manifestly distinguished from them, who all forsook him and fled: some have thought, that he was a young man of the house, where Christ and his disciples ate their passover; who had followed him to the garden, and still followed him, to see what would be the issue of things: but it seems most likely, that he was one that lived in an house in Gethsemane, or in or near the garden; who being awaked out of sleep with the noise of a band of soldiers, and others with them, leaped out of bed, and ran out in his shirt, and followed after them, to know what was the matter:<\/p>\n having a linen cloth cast about his naked body<\/strong>; which was either his shirt in which he lay, or one of the sheets, which he took and wrapped himself in, not staying to put on his clothes: though the word “Sindon”, is used both by the Targumists d and Talmudists e for a linen garment; and sometimes even for the outer garment, to which the fringes were fastened f; and he might take up this in haste, and slip it on, without putting on any inner garment: the word “body”, is not in the text, and the phrase , may be rendered, “upon his nakedness”; and answers to , in Ge 9:23<\/span> and Le 20:11<\/span>, and the meaning be, he had only a piece of linen wrapped about his middle, to cover his nakedness; and in this garb ran out, to see what was doing:<\/p>\n and the young men laid hold on him<\/strong>. The Roman soldiers, who were commonly so called: so David’s soldiers are called “young men”, that were with him, 1Sa 21:4<\/span>; these attempted to lay hold on this young man, taking him to be a disciple of Christ, or one at least affected to him, and did take hold of his linen cloth. The Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions, leave out the words, “the young men”. The design of Mark in relating this incident, is to show the rage and fury of these men; who were for sparing none that appeared to be or were thought to be the followers of Christ; so that the preservation of the disciples was entirely owing to the wonderful power of Christ.<\/p>\n d Targum in Psal civ. 2. & Lam ii. 20. e T. Bab. Menachot, fol. 41. 1. f Ib. fol 40. 1.<\/p>\n A certain young man <\/B> ( <\/SPAN><\/span>). This incident alone in Mark. It is usually supposed that Mark himself, son of Mary (Ac 12:12<\/span>) in whose house they probably had observed the passover meal, had followed Jesus and the apostles to the Garden. It is a lifelike touch quite in keeping with such a situation. Here after the arrest he was following with Jesus ( <\/SPAN><\/span>, imperfect tense). Note the vivid dramatic present <\/SPAN><\/span> (they seize him). <\/P> <\/p>\n Linen cloth [] <\/SPAN><\/span>. The probable derivation is from jIndov, an Indian : India being the source from which came this fine fabric used for wrapping dead bodies, and in which Christ ‘s body was enveloped. See Mt 27:59<\/span>; Mr 14:46<\/span>; Luk 23:53<\/span>.<\/P> <\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n 1) “And there followed Him a certain young man,”<\/strong> (kai neaniskos tis sunekolouthei auto) “And a certain young man closely accompanied Him,” stuck close to Jesus, an account mentioned by no other Gospel writer; (not one of the twelve) who had joined the company, but did not flee with the rest, at first.<\/p>\n 2) “Having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; <\/strong>(peribeblemenos sindona epi gumnou) “That had been clothed with, (in) a nightgown over his naked body,” indicating that he had hurriedly gotten out of bed to join the scene, the milling mob in the street, on the way to Gethsemane.<\/p>\n 3) “And the young men laid hold on him:-<\/strong> (kai kraptousin auton) “And they (the arresting officers) seized (grabbed) him,” thinking he was one of the disciples. The term “a certain young man” is similar to John’s indirect reference to himself as “that other disciple” and likely refers, in this Gospel, to Mark.<\/p>\n Mar 14:51<\/span><\/p>\n . And a young man. How some persons have come to dream that this was John (221) I know not, nor is it of much importance to inquire. The chief point is, to ascertain for what purpose Mark has related this transaction. I think that his object was, to inform us that those wicked men — as usually happens in riotous assemblies stormed and raved without shame or modesty; which appeared from their seizing a young man who was unknown to them, and not suspected of any crime, so that he had difficulty in escaping out of their hands naked. For it is probable that the young man, who is mentioned, had some attachment to Christ, and, on hearing the tumult by night, without stopping to put on his clothes, and covered only with a linen garment, came either to discover their traps, or, at least, that he might not be wanting in a duty of friendship. (222) We certainly perceive — as I just now said — that those wicked men raged with cruel violence, when they did not even spare a poor young man, who had left his bed, almost naked, and run, on hearing the noise. <\/p>\n (221) “ Aucuns ont songé que c’estoit Jean, l’un des Apostres;” — “some have dreamed that it was John, one of the Apostles.” <\/p>\n (222) “ Ou, pour le moins à fin de faire devoir d’ami envers Jesus Christ;” — “or, at least, in order to perform the duty of a friend towards Jesus Christ.” <\/p>\n (51) And there followed him a certain young man.<\/strong>The remarkable incident that follows is narrated by St. Mark only. It had clearly made a deep impression on the minds of some of the disciples (probably enough, on that of Peter), from whom, directly or indirectly, the report came. Who it was that appeared in this strange fashion we are left to conjecture. Some have supposed that it was St. Mark himself, but for this there is obviously no ground but the fact that this Evangelist alone records it. A careful examination of the facts suggests another conclusion as probable. (1) The man was young, and the self-same term is applied to the ruler who had great possessions (Mat. 19:20<\/span>). (2) He had apparently been sleeping, or, it may be, watching, not far from Gethsemane, with the linen sheet wrapped round him, and had been roused by the approach of the officers and the crowd. This suggests one who lived somewhere on the Mount of Olives, and so far points to Lazarus or Simon of Bethany, as the only two conspicuous disciples in that neighbourhood. (3) He was one who so loved our Lord that he went on following Him when all the disciples forsook Him and fled, and this also was what might be expected from Lazarus. On the supposition suggested in (1), he was now obeying almost literally the command, Take up thy cross, and follow Me. (See Notes on Mat. 19:16-22<\/span>.) (4) He was one whom the officers (the words the young men are omitted in the better MSS.) were eager to seize, when they allowed all the disciples to go their way, and this agrees with the command which had been given by the priests, that they should take and kill Lazarus also (Joh. 12:10<\/span>). (5) As the linen sheet or sindn<\/em> (see Note on Mat. 27:59<\/span>) was especially used for the burial of the dead, it is conceivable, on this supposition, that what had been the winding-sheet of the dead Lazarus had been kept and used by him in memory of his resurrection. (6) On the hypothesis thus suggested, the suppression of the name stands on the same footing as that of the name of the sister of Lazarus, who poured the precious ointment on our Lords head at Bethany (Mat. 26:7<\/span>, Mar. 14:3<\/span>), whom the Evangelists must have known, but whom they mention simply as a woman. Their lips were sealed as to the family of Bethany until the circumstances, whatever they may have been, that called for silence had passed away. It is obvious that so far as this identity is established it suggests many thoughts of profound interest. What had seemed impossible to men had proved possible with God. He who had gone away sorrowful because he had great possessions, had given freely to the poor (see Notes on Mat. 26:6<\/span>; Mat. 26:9<\/span>), and had proved more faithful than the Twelve, and so the last had become the first.<\/p>\n 51<\/strong>. <\/strong> Followed him a certain young man <\/em> The incident of this young man occurs very briefly, and is narrated apparently for no purpose whatever. The only solution, certainly the best, is the supposition that it was no other than Mark himself. Mark was at this time a young man, living probably in Jerusalem with his mother; was more or less a follower of Jesus, and very likely to be present, from his interest in our Lord, during these awful transactions. That he should not name himself is very naturally explained, on the same principle of personal delicacy as induced the evangelist John to allude to himself in the third person. As John naturally styles himself the disciple whom Jesus loved, <\/em> so Mark could as naturally style himself a certain young man. <\/em> Very likely the Christians of that day knew who the certain young man was. There followed him <\/em> From this clause it is plain, that the supposition of some commentators, that this was an indifferent young man, accidentally awakened by the tumult, is untenable. He is a follower<\/em>; and he does not follow them, <\/em> that is, the crowd, but him. <\/em> Jesus is the object of his interest. It must, therefore, have been some friend of Jesus, pressing after him to ascertain what was to be his fate. A linen cloth <\/em> A wrapper thrown over his undressed body. Doubtless this was the aba, an outer cloth thrown over the dress, and used even in sleep to enwrap the body. See on Mat 5:40<\/span>. The young men <\/em> The young men who formed a part of the company who apprehended Jesus. This use of the word to signify soldiers is common, both in Greek and Latin.<\/p>\n ‘And a certain young man followed with him, having a linen cloak thrown about him over his naked body, and they laid hold on him, but he left the linen cloak and fled naked.’<\/p>\n Compare the equally anonymous ‘certain one of them’ who used his sword in a brave but useless attempt to defend Jesus (until according to the other Gospels he was told off for his pains). Here was another anonymous one who was also brave, but futile.<\/p>\n This one did not flee at first. Not necessarily because he was braver, but possibly because he was not so directly involved and was not a recognised disciple. Who was this young man? A good case can be made out for John Mark himself, especially if the upper room was in John Mark’s father’s house (compare Act 12:12<\/span>) and he had been the carrier of the pitcher of water (Mar 14:13<\/span>). Intrigued at events he may well have heard Jesus and the disciples leaving and hurriedly flung a linen cloak round his naked body and followed behind, seeing all that occurred.<\/p>\n He might equally have followed the arresting party after the arrest, not fearing arrest himself, until Judas, guilt-ridden, possibly indicated him as someone whom he had spotted at the house, at which point they sought to arrest him, or alternatively and more likely, he might have put in too strong a verbal protest resulting in him being mistaken for a belligerent disciple. Either way he fled leaving his cloak behind. Whether ‘naked’ means totally so or simply ‘not dressed’ i.e. in undergarments, is debatable and unanswerable. It does, however tend to suggest that comparison with Joseph (Gen 39:12<\/span>) was not in mind for it wrecks the comparison (and did not need to be mentioned). Others have suggested a connection with Amo 2:16<\/span>, ‘and he who is courageous among the mighty will flee away naked in that day’. But it is not likely that he could be seen, or would see himself, as one of the mighty. More likely might be Gen 3:7<\/span>; Gen 3:10-11<\/span> where Adam realised he was naked before God. Perhaps there is the thought here that with Jesus now under arrest he was a symbol that all who fled were naked.<\/p>\n Led Like A Lamb To The Slaughter.<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n And so Jesus was marched off, alone with His captors. From this point on it is no longer Jesus Who determines events. He is being led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so He will not open His mouth (Isa 53:7<\/span>), except at times when it was necessary to confirm His Kingship and authority (Mar 14:62<\/span>; Mar 15:2<\/span>; Joh 18:33-38<\/span>). His disciples are no longer with him, and one who does follow does so ‘afar off’ (Mar 14:54<\/span>), and it would have been better if even he had not been there. Events are now in God’s hands Who alone will determine what happens.<\/p>\n Mar 14:51-52<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. <\/strong>There followed him a certain young man, <\/em><\/strong>&c.<\/strong> Bishop Pococke, in describing the dresses of the people of Egypt, observes, “that it is almost a general custom among the Arabs and Mohammedan natives of the country, to wear a large blanket, either white or brown, and in summera blue or white cotton sheet; <\/em>which the Christians constantly wear in the country. Putting one corner before over the left shoulder, they bring it behind and under the right arm, and so over their bodies, throwing it behind over the left shoulder, and so the right arm is left bare for action. When it is hot, and they are on horseback, they let it fall down on the saddle round them; and about Faiume I particularly observed,that young people especially, and the poorer sort, had nothing on whatever, but this blanket; and it is probable the young man was clothed in this manner, who followed our Saviour when he was taken, having a linen-cloth <\/em>cast about his naked body; and when the young men laid hold on him, he left the linen-cloth, and fled from them naked.” See his Description of the East, <\/em>vol. 1: p. 190. <\/p>\n “I am very much disposed,” says the author of the Observations on Scripture, “<\/em>to think as theBishop does upon this point; and as he has made this remark, I should not have thought of noting it, had I not apprehended some additional observations might not be altogether useless. The account here given relates to Egypt; but Egmont and Heyman inform us, that the inhabitants of Palestine are as slightly clothed now as these Egyptians, and we may believe were so anciently. They observe, that they saw several Arabian <\/em>inhabitants of Jaffa <\/em>(called Joppa <\/em>in the New Testament) going almost naked, the greatest part of them without so much as a shirt or drawers, though some wore a kind of mantle: as for the children there, they run about almost as naked as they were born, though they had all little chains about their legs, as an ornament, and some of silver.” The ancients, or at least many of them, supposed that the young man here mentioned by St. Mark, was one of the apostles; though Grotius wonders how they could entertain such an idea; and apprehends that it was some youth who lodged in a country-house near the garden of Gethsemane, who ran out in a hurry to see what was the matter, in his night vestment, or in his shirt, <\/em>as we should express it. But the word , used to signify what he had upon him, denotes also such a cloth as they wrapped up the dead in, and occurs in no other sense in the Old Testament: but the Eastern people do not lie like corpses wrapped up in a winding-sheet, but in drawers, and one or two waistcoats, at Aleppo; and those who go without drawers (as the Arabs of Barbary do, according to Dr. Shaw, and many of the Holy Land, if we believe Egmont and Heyman) sleep in their raiment; and the hyke, <\/em>which they wear by day, serves them for a bed and covering by night. It might as well then be an apostle in his day-dress, as an ordinary youth wrapped up in that in which he lay; and it is rather to be understood of an apostle in his common clothing, than of a person of figure in his drawers and waistcoat, in which such persons now lay; and which we maybelieve that Dionysius Alexandrinus meant by , in his epistle quoted by Grotius. A late commentator takes notice, that though this youth is said to flyaway naked upon his leaving the linen cloth in the hands of those that secured him; yet it is by no means necessary to suppose that he was absolutely naked;<\/em>which is indeed very true: is not this precisely the thing, however, that the evangelist designs to intimate,in order to mark out the extreme fear of this young man, who rather chose to quit his hyke <\/em>than run the risk of being made a prisoner; though, by doing this, he became entirely exposed? Dr. Lightfoot supposes, as I do, says this author, that he had nothing on under this linen cloth; which he inclines to attribute to mortification or a superstitious austerity. But if he was not an apostle, yet he must be understood to have been a disciple of Jesus, or he needed not to have been afraid. <\/em>And from ch. Mar 2:18<\/span> we learn, that though the disciples of John followed a rigorous institute, those of Christ did not. See the Observations, p. 403, &c. instead of young men <\/em>at the end of Mar 14:51<\/span>. Dr. Heylin reads soldiers, <\/em>as the original word frequently signifies in the best writers. <\/p>\n 48 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with<\/em> staves to take me?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n 49 I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n 50 And they all forsook him, and fled.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n 51 And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his<\/em> naked body<\/em> ; and the young men laid hold on him: <\/p>\n<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n Ver. 51. And there followed him a certain young man<\/strong> ] That this was St John, Calvin counts a fancy. He might be one well affected to Christ, who, bearing the noise, came to see the news, and hardly escaped with the skin of his teeth; such is the rudeness and rage of persecutors. <\/p>\n 51.<\/strong> ] It is impossible to determine, and therefore idle to enquire, who this was<\/em> . Epiphanius, Hr. lxxviii. 13, vol. i. (ii., Migne) p. 1045, in recounting the traditional austerities of James the brother of the Lord, says, , . Chrys. alli [46] . supposed it to have been St. John: alii aliter. It seems to have been some attached disciple of the Lord (probably well known to the readers of Mark), who had gone to rest, and had been aroused by the intelligence. The disciples<\/em> were not laid hold of: this person perhaps was throwing some obstacle in the way of the removal of Jesus: or he may have been laid hold of merely in wantonness, from his unusual garb.<\/p>\n [46] alli= some cursive mss.<\/p>\n <\/strong> does not require to be supplied, but is a neuter substantive: see on this usage generally Khner, Gramm. ii. p. 118.<\/p>\n Mar 14:51<\/span> introduces a little anecdote peculiar to Mk., the story of an unknown friend, not one of the Twelve, who had joined the company, and did not fly with the rest. ., was following Jesus; when He was being led away, and after the disciples had fled. : this suggests that the youth, on hearing some sudden report, rose out of his bed and rushed out in his night-shirt, or, being absolutely naked, hurriedly threw about his body a loose cotton or linen sheet. The statement that on being laid hold of he cast off the garment favours the latter alternative.<\/p>\n NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mar 14:51-52<\/p>\n 51A young man was following Him, wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked body; and they seized him. 52But he pulled free of the linen sheet and escaped naked.<\/p>\n Mar 14:51-52 “young man. . .wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked body” Church tradition says this was John Mark, the compiler of this Gospel. He was an early missionary companion of his uncle, Barnabas (cf. Act 12:25), and Saul (Paul) of Tarsus. Tradition strongly asserts that he was the scribe for Peter’s recollections of Jesus’ life (i.e., the Gospel of Mark). Tradition also says it was in his home that the Last Supper was held (cf. Act 12:12).<\/p>\n It is uncertain why he was dressed like this. Possibly he was told while sleeping that Jesus was in the process of being arrested or maybe he tried to stay close to Jesus and the disciples and was sleeping close by in the garden.<\/p>\n And there followed, &c. This is a Divine supplement, peculiar to Mark’s Gospel. <\/p>\n followed = was following. <\/p>\n a certain young man = one particular young man. That this might be Lazarus. is probable: (1) because he Lord had returned to Bethany each preceding night of the week; (2) because Lazarus would be looking out; (3) because of the linen robe, betokening his social position; (4) and especially because he was wanted: “The chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death “(Joh 12:10). None of the apostles was arrested. Peter (though suspected) and another (Joh 18:15) were unmolested; (5) his name is not given here by Divine guidance, because Lazarus was probably still alive, and therefore in danger. linen cloth. Greek sindon = a linen cloak (so called probably from Indos = Indian). <\/p>\n cast about = having clothed [himself]; as in Mat 6:29 (arrayed), Mat 6:31; Mat 25:36, Mat 25:38, Mat 25:43 : Mar 16:5. Luk 12:27; Luk 23:11. Joh 19:2. Act 12:8. <\/p>\n about = upon. Greek. epi. App-104. <\/p>\n naked. Without waiting to put on all his robes. <\/p>\n the young men : i.e. the soldiers; as in 2Sa 2:14. Gen 14:24. <\/p>\n 51.] It is impossible to determine, and therefore idle to enquire, who this was. Epiphanius, Hr. lxxviii. 13, vol. i. (ii., Migne) p. 1045, in recounting the traditional austerities of James the brother of the Lord, says, , . Chrys. alli[46]. supposed it to have been St. John: alii aliter. It seems to have been some attached disciple of the Lord (probably well known to the readers of Mark), who had gone to rest, and had been aroused by the intelligence. The disciples were not laid hold of:-this person perhaps was throwing some obstacle in the way of the removal of Jesus: or he may have been laid hold of merely in wantonness, from his unusual garb.<\/p>\n [46] alli= some cursive mss.<\/p>\n does not require to be supplied, but is a neuter substantive: see on this usage generally Khner, Gramm. ii. p. 118.<\/p>\n Mar 14:51. , a linen cloth) He was therefore rich, Mat 11:8.- , upon his naked) viz. body. He had perhaps by this time gone to bed.-, lay hold) He had not been desired to follow. No one tried to apprehend the disciples: this young man was apprehended by either the armed men or others.[3]<\/p>\n [3] The Germ. Vers. approves of the omission of the subject ., though that omission has been less approved of by the margin of the larger Ed. and of Ed. 2.-E. B. It is omitted in BC corrected later, DLac Memph. Syr. Vulg. However AP supports the words with Rec. Text.-ED. and TRANSL.<\/p>\n Reciprocal: Gen 39:12 – and he left Jdg 14:12 – sheets<\/p>\n Chapter 12.<\/p>\n The Young Man in the Linen Cloth<\/p>\n “And there followed Him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.”-Mar 14:51, Mar 14:52.<\/p>\n Why is he Recalled?<\/p>\n The insertion of this story of the young man with the linen cloth needs accounting for. Mark omits many important details in the story of Christ’s arrest, apparently in the interests of brevity. But this same evangelist, who in his passion for brevity omits items of importance, inserts this story about the young man with the linen cloth, though it is trivial in itself, and in no way affects the course of events. Why did this stern economist of words spare two verses in his brief and pregnant Gospel to tell this irrelevant story about some unknown young man? There must have been some strong reason operating on Mark to induce him to insert it.<\/p>\n A Personal Interest.<\/p>\n The usual way of accounting for its insertion is by saying that the little incident must have had some special interest for Mark himself; indeed that he himself was the young man of whom he speaks. If that supposition is right, we can understand how the story came to be inserted. If Mark was the young man in question, the incident was not trivial to him. The act that brought him even into momentary contact with Christ on that dread and bitter night would be one of supreme interest and importance. There are other guesses as to the identity of this young man. Some commentators, for example, think that he was James, the brother of our Lord; others, the son of that unknown friend of Christ’s who lent Him the Upper Room; whilst Dean Plumptre and Ian Maclaren make the ingenious guess that he was Lazarus. But all fail to account for the insertion of this trivial incident in the narrative. The one supposition that has real plausibility and likelihood is the one most often adopted, namely, that the young man was Mark himself.<\/p>\n After the Gospel Manner.<\/p>\n Let me indicate some of the things that lead me to think this young man was the evangelist himself. (1) I begin with this, that Mark should introduce himself into his narrative in this anonymous way is exactly in keeping with the Gospel manner. Take the Fourth Gospel for illustration. In that Gospel John has to narrate many incidents in which he himself took part, but he never once mentions himself by name. He speaks of himself, half shyly as it were, as “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” or “that other disciple.” It often happened that artists would introduce their own portraits into the pictures they were painting. But they always put their own portraits in the background. And one had to be familiar with the painters’ features to recognise them at all. It was so with the evangelists. If they have to come into the picture, they keep to the background; they stow themselves away in some inconspicuous corner. They introduce themselves anonymously, and for Mark to speak of himself in this way as “a certain young man” is exactly in keeping with evangelic usage.<\/p>\n The Touch of an Eye-witness.<\/p>\n (2) The vivid detail of the narrative seems to suggest the eye-witness. Speaking broadly, this Gospel is Peter’s Gospel. The uniform account of tradition is that Mark was Peter’s “interpreter,” and amanuensis, and that he wrote down the various details of his Gospel as he heard Peter narrate them. Now Peter could not have given him this story. For Peter had taken flight and had not yet recovered from his flight. And even when he did recover, it was “from afar” that he followed, and he was not in a position to know what happened in the near vicinity of Christ Himself. But, if Peter did not give Mark this story, whence did he get it? The almost irresistible conclusion is that Mark puts in here a little bit “on his own.” The detail of it, as I say, suggests the personal narrative. And the detail comes out specially in the use of the Greek word which is translated “linen cloth.” The evangelist specifies a costly kind of linen cloth, a “sindon” which, according to Edersheim, “no doubt corresponds to the Sadin or Sedina which, in Rabbinic writings, means a linen cloth, or a loose linen wrapper, though, possibly, it may also mean a night-dress.” Apparently it had been used as a coverlet for the bed. That the evangelist should specify in this way, should be so minute and exact, and should crowd so much detail into the account, all points to the conclusion that he was writing of something which happened to himself.<\/p>\n Mark’s Circumstances<\/p>\n (3) Once again, all that we know about the evangelist’s circumstances favours the idea that the young man was Mark himself. First of all, we know that Mary, Mark’s mother, lived in Jerusalem. It is quite possible her house may have been situated in one of the streets through which the procession marched on its way from the Garden to the Judgment Hall. Furthermore, we know that Mary’s house was a large house, sufficiently large to accommodate the prayer-meetings of the Church. It was in her house that the Church had met for prayer when Peter lay in his prison, and it was to her house that Peter made his way on his release. We infer that people who live in large houses are possessed of ample means, and so we conclude that Mary, Mark’s mother, was a well-to-do woman. This is supported by the fact that one of her connections, Barnabas, was a landed proprietor and a rich man. If Mary was the well-to-do woman we have every reason to think she was, then we can understand how it was that it was a sindon in which her son wrapped himself when he made his hurried rush into the street.<\/p>\n Mark’s Character.<\/p>\n (4) Moreover, everything that we know of Mark’s character fits in exactly with the description of the young man here given. Mark is referred to, as you will remember, more than once in the Acts. He accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. All went well while they were in Cyprus. But when they crossed over to the mainland of Asia Minor, and were about to face the notorious dangers of the Pamphylian mountains, Mark suddenly deserted the mission and returned to Jerusalem. That is exactly the same kind of person as this young man, who, with headlong enthusiasm championed Christ, but when he found his championship of Christ’s cause brought him into trouble, left the linen cloth in the soldier’s hands and fled.<\/p>\n Mark, the Stump-fingered.<\/p>\n (5) And, finally, I call your attention to the curious epithet by which Mark was distinguished in the early Church. He was called Mark “the Stump-fingered.” We are not told why he was so called. But may not the explanation be found, as Dr David Smith suggests, in this incident? Perhaps the incident, after all, may not have been quite so trifling as Mark’s account would lead us to suppose. Perhaps he lost more that night than his linen cloth. The Roman soldier was in no mood to brook interference, and it may well have been that Mark’s interposition on behalf of Christ was rewarded with a sword slash which whipped off his finger.<\/p>\n The Impulse.<\/p>\n And now let us just look at Mark’s exploit on this dark betrayal night. We must think of Jesus as being led through the streets of Jerusalem from the Garden to the high priest’s palace. The passing of the procession caused considerable uproar; the torches the soldiers carried flashed light into many a darkened room and wakened many a sleeper. Some, I have no doubt, got up to see what was astir. Mark was not content simply to get up, he went out, simply casting about him the first article on which he could lay his hands, which happened to be this “linen cloth,” this fine linen garment. When he got into the street, he found that a prisoner was being led away for judgment. A second look, as the glare of the torch fell on his face, told him this prisoner was none other than Jesus-the Man about Whom all Jerusalem was talking; the Preacher to Whom he, along with thousands of others, had listened with such keen delight in the Temple: yes, and I can go further, the Jesus in Whom he and his mother had already begun to trust as the promised Messiah, the Man Who had won their souls. Wishing to know what Jesus had done, and why He was being dragged along by the soldiers and the high priest’s servants, Mark, undressed as he was, followed with the crowd, keeping as near to Jesus as he could.<\/p>\n The Test.<\/p>\n I will believe that, as he walked, love for the Christ and indignation at the treatment meted out to Him, was filling Mark’s soul. At a certain stage of the journey something happened, some insult was offered to Christ, some rough and brutal deed was done to Him by the soldiers who held Him on either side, and at last the indignation that was swelling and surging in John Mark’s soul became vocal. He made vehement and passionate protest. And upon that, some of the other soldiers in the band, promptly proceeded to lay hands on Mark himself, meaning to drag him off along with Jesus. But that was more than Mark had bargained for. At the rough grasp of the soldier’s hand and at the flash of his sword, Mark’s heat quickly cooled, and concern for Jesus gave way to anxiety for himself. He had no intention of standing in the dock as a prisoner side by side with the Lord. So by a sudden wrench he extricated himself from the soldier’s grip, and leaving behind his “linen cloth,” and possibly his finger, he fled naked.<\/p>\n That is the story. And from that story we may gather a lesson or two for life today. Mr Spurgeon has, I believe, a sermon on this incident, which he divides into two heads. (1) Here is Hasty Following. (2) Here is Hasty Running Away. Those are the two thoughts which the story inevitably suggests.<\/p>\n Hasty Following.<\/p>\n Here is hasty following. Everything about Mark in this midnight adventure betokens inconsiderateness and haste. If he had thought for a moment, if he had meant to follow Christ to the bitter end, he would not have been content with the linen cloth about his naked body. That was no garb in which to face danger and peril for the Lord’s sake. The “linen cloth” in a sense is symbolic and characteristic of a merely temporary discipleship. For that headlong zeal that made Mark “follow with Christ,” when He was in the hands of the soldiers, and all His disciples had fled, I have nothing but admiration. There is something generous, unselfish, noble about it. I only wish we had more of it in our Christian life and our Christian service today, for nobody can say that the modern Church suffers from excess of zeal. What I criticise is not the enthusiasm, but the hastiness of it. It was not a reasoned, considered, steady enthusiasm. The “linen cloth” which was his only garment carries “temporariness” stamped upon it. And a Temporary, at the time, Mark turned out to be. At the touch of the soldier’s hand and the sight of the naked sword, Mark’s enthusiasm fizzled out. “He left the linen cloth and fled naked.”<\/p>\n -Its Peril.<\/p>\n What does Tennyson say about “haste”? Is not it this? “Raw haste, half-sister to delay.” Raw haste is half-sister to delay, and unthinking enthusiasm is half-sister to desertion. As I read the Gospels I am almost driven to believe that Christ feared haste as much as anything. He knew the Christian service and the Christian life were not lightly to be embarked upon. He knew there were difficulties to be encountered, and hardships to be endured, and perils to be faced. He knew that the difficulties and the hardships and the perils lasted the whole way. The Christian life was a long and arduous campaign. A mere fit of enthusiasm would Garry no man through it. It would need courage, not simply dash, but steady courage, a fixed and resolute will to enable a man to endure to the end. And so our Lord would have no man become a disciple in a hurry. He was constantly bidding would-be disciples stop and think. He bids men sit down first and count the cost. For in the Christian life it is not the first step only which costs, it costs all the way through. And it is only he who can endure to the end who gets saved. And because Christ is anxious that no follower of His should turn deserter, He bids us still stop and think before we embark upon His service. It is not to ease Christ calls us, but to labour. It is not peace he sends, but a sword. It is not to comfort He invites us, but to a campaign. A “linen cloth” is no equipment for this business. No, if we mean to see it through, we shall have to take to ourselves the whole armour of God, the breastplate of Righteousness, the shield of Faith, the helmet of Salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. For the men Christ wants are not the men who follow Him today and desert Him to-morrow, but men who will be faithful unto death and so receive the Crown of Life.<\/p>\n Hasty Desertion.<\/p>\n Hasty following in John Mark’s case issued in hasty running away. It may be, as Dr Watson suggests, that the thought of the appearance he would make arrayed before the Jewish Court with only this linen cloth about him, had something to do with his flight. That makes no difference to the truth I am now trying to enforce. Even if it were modesty and not fear that lay at the root of his desertion, it remains true that it was his haste in following, that led to his haste in running away. And the one generally ends in the other. Our Lord in His parable of the seed warned us of this tragic and disappointing sequence. The seed sown on the rock, He said, represented those who, when they heard the word, straightway with joy received it. But when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word straightway they are offended. They were in a hurry to begin, they were in a hurry to give up. There is not a Church in the land, there is not a Christian minister in the land who does not know of men and women who began but were not able to finish, who did run well but who are not on the course today. What of ourselves, have we faltered? Are we of them that draw back?<\/p>\n The Changed Man.<\/p>\n I have talked of Mark’s hasty following and his equally hasty running away. But that was not the end of Mark’s Christian career. Had it been so this Gospel that bears his name would never have been written. I am not going to trace his history, but to remind you of one little fact about Mark. Venice boasts of Mark as its patron saint, and there, close to the Grand Canal, you can see the pillar dedicated to his name. And on the top of the pillar a lion. The lion of St Mark! That is Mark’s symbol in Art-the lion! He does not shape much like a lion in this incident. The timid hare would seem to us a fitter symbol of this man who ran away at the first onset of danger. But the Church is right. The lion is Mark’s legitimate symbol. For this man got the better of his timidities and fears, and developed into a brave and dauntless soldier of the Cross. Christ changed him, Christ transformed him, and Mark, the runaway, at Alexandria laid down his life for his Lord.<\/p>\n 2<\/p>\n Mark is the only one of the writers who records this event. There is no information as to the identity of the young man. Linen, is from the Greek word SINDON which Thayer defines, “thing made of fine cloth.” He then explains it by saying, “so of a light and loose garment worn at night over the naked body.” Robinson gives virtually the same definition and explanation as that of Thayer. That accounts for the fact that the young man had nothing else on. It was night, and the commotion had attracted his attention so that without taking time to dress he went to the scene of excitement. The apostles had just fled while the young man still followed along after Jesus. The men of the mob thought he was sympathizing with Jesus and decided to arrest him. This frightened him so that he escaped by giving up his nightrobe.<\/p>\n And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: <\/p>\n [Having a linen cloth cast about his naked body.] It is well rendered by the Vulgar clothed in sindon or fine linen; for to that the words have respect: not that he had some linen loosely and by chance cast about him, but that the garment wherewith he always went clothed, was of sindon; that is, of linen. Let us hearken a little to the Talmudists.<\/p>\n “The Rabbins deliver: Sindon [linen] with fringes; what of them? The school of Shammai absolves, the school of Hillel binds, and the wise men determine according to the school of Hillel. R. Eliezer Ben R. Zadok saith, Whosoever wears hyacinth [purple] in Jerusalem, is among those who make men admire.” By hyacinthinum [purple] they understand those fringes that were to put them in mind of the law, Numbers_15. And by sindon, linen; is understood a cloak; or that garment, which, as it serves for clothing the body, so it is doubly serviceable to religion. For, 1. To this garment were the fringes fastened, concerning which mention is made, Num 15:38. 2. With this garment they commonly covered their heads when they prayed. Hence that in the Gemarists in the place quoted: “talith; or the cloak whereby the boy covereth his head, and a great part of himself; if any one of elder years goes forth clothed with it in a more immodest manner, he is bound to wear fringes.” And elsewhere, “The priests who veil themselves when they go up into the pulpit, with a cloak which is not their own;” etc.<\/p>\n But now it was customary to wear this cloak, in the summer especially, and in Jerusalem for the most part, made of sindon or of linen. And the question between the schools of Shammai and Hillel arose hence, that when the fringes were woolen, and the cloak linen, how would the suspicion of wearing things of different sorts be avoided? R. Zeira loosed his sindon. The Gloss is: “He loosed his fringes from his sindon [that is, from his talith; which was of ‘sindon,’ linen], because it was of linen;” etc. “The angel found Rabh Ketina clothed in sindon; and said to him, O Ketina, Ketina, sindon in the summer, and a short cloak in the winter.”<\/p>\n You see that word which is spoke by the evangelist, about his naked body; carries an emphasis: for it was most usual to be clothed with sindon for an outer garment. What therefore must we say of this young man? I suppose in the first place, that he was not a disciple of Jesus; but that he now followed, as some curious looker on, to see what this multitude would at last produce. And to such a suspicion they certainly do consent, who think him to have been roused from his bed, and hastily followed the rout with nothing but his shirt on, without any other clothes. I suppose, secondly, St. Mark in the phrase having a sindon cast about him; spake according to the known and vulgar dialect of the nation, clothed with a sindon. For none shall ever persuade me that he would use an idiom, any thing uncouth or strange to the nation; and that when he used the very same phrase in Greek with that Jewish one, he intended not to propound the very same sense. But now you clearly see, they themselves being our teachers, what is the meaning of being clothed with a sindon; with them, namely, to have a talith or cloak made of linen; that garment to which the fringes hung. I suppose, in the last place, that this young man, out of religion, or superstition rather, more than ordinary, had put on his sindon; and nothing but that upon his naked body; neglecting his inner garment (commonly called chaluk ), and indeed neglecting his body. For there were some amongst the Jews that did so macerate their bodies, and afflict them with hunger and cold, even above the severe rule of other sects.<\/p>\n Josephus in his own Life writes thus: “I was sixteen years old, and I resolved to make trial of the institution of the three sects among us, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes; for I judged I should be able very well to choose the best of them, if I thoroughly learned them all. Afflicting, therefore, and much tormenting myself, I tried them all. But judging with myself that it was not enough to have tried these sects; and hearing of one Banus, that lived in the wilderness, that he used a garment made of leaves; or the bark of trees; and no food but what grew of its own accord, and often by day and by night washing himself in cold water, I became a follower of him, and for three years abode with him.”<\/p>\n And in that place in the Talmudists, which we but now produced, at that very story of Rabh Ketina, wearing a sindon in the winter for his talith; we have these words; “The religious in elder times, when they had wove three wings [of the talith], they joined the purple;” whereof the fringes were made: “but otherwise, they are religious who impose upon themselves things heavier than ordinary.” And immediately follows the story of the angel and Ketina, who did so. There were some who heaped up upon themselves burdens and yokes of religion above the common rule, and that this is to be understood by such as laid upon themselves heavier things than ordinary; both the practice of some Jews persuade, and the word itself speaks it, being used by the Gemarists in the same sense elsewhere.<\/p>\n Such, we suppose, was this young man (as Josephus was, when a young man, of whom before), who, when others armed themselves against the cold with a double garment, namely, an inner garment; and a talith or cloak; clothed himself with a single garment, and that of sindon or linen; and under the show of some more austere religion, neglecting the ordinary custom and care of himself.<\/p>\n The thing, taken in the sense which we propound, speaks the furious madness of this most wicked rout so much the more, inasmuch as they spared not a man, and him a young man; bearing most evident marks of a more severe religion.<\/p>\n Mar 14:51. A certain young man. Not one of the Apostles, all of whom had fled (Mar 14:50), but a disciple. He may have been seized because of some expression of sympathy, or simply because of his strange attire.<\/p>\n Having a linen cloth. Either a sheet or a night-garment, the material alone being definitely mentioned.<\/p>\n On his naked body. He had just risen from bed, having probably been asleep in a house near by, possibly on the place itself. Further all is conjecture. It may have been Mark himself; others think it was the owner of the garden; others again that it was a member of the family where the Passover had been eaten; others, James the brother of our Lord; others, the apostle John. The first theory would account for the insertion of this incident here, with the name suppressed. A few years later Mark was living with his mother in Jerusalem (Act 12:12), and probably at this time also. If it was any one well-known to the first readers of the Gospel, it was no doubt the Evangelist himself. The words the young men are to be omitted.<\/p>\n Here we have the history of our Saviour’s examination before the high-priest and council, who set up all night to arraign and try the holy and innocent Jesus; for, lest his death should look like a downright murder, they allow him a mock-trial, and abuse the law by perverting it to injustice and bloodshed. Accordingly false witnesses are suborned, who depose that they heard him say, he would destroy the temple, and build it again in three days. <\/p>\n It is not in the power of the greatest innocence to protect the most innocent and holy person from slander and false accusation; yea, no person is so innocent and good, whom false witnesses may not condemn.<\/p>\n Observe, 2. Our Lord’s meekness and patience, his silence under all these wicked suggestions and false accusations: Jesus held his peace, and answered nothing, Mar 14:61.<\/p>\n Guilt is naturally clamorous and impatient; but innocency is silent, and careless of misreports.<\/p>\n Learn hence, That to bear the revilings, contradictions, and false accusations, of men with a silent and submissive spirit, is an excellent and Christ-like temper. Our Lord stood before his unjust judge, and false accusers even as a sheep before the shearer, dumb, and not opening his mouth; even then when a trial for his life was managed most maliciously and illegally against him: When he was reviled, he reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not.<\/p>\n May the same humble mind and forgiving spirit be in us, which was also in Christ Jesus!<\/p>\n Observe, 3. That although our Saviour was silent, and made no reply to the false witnesses; yet now, when the question was solemnly put by the high-priest, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? He answered I am.<\/p>\n Thence learn, That although we are not obliged by every ensnaring question to make answer, yet we are bound faithfully to own, and freely to confess, the truth, when solemnly called thereunto: when our silence will be interpreted a denial of the truth, a dishonour to God, a reproach and scandal to our brethren, it will be a great sin to hold our peace; and we must not be silent, though our confession of the truth hazards our liberty, yea, our life. Christ knew that his answer would cost him his life, yet he durst not but give it: Art thou the Son of the Blessed? Jesus said, I am.<\/p>\n Observe, 4. The crime which the high-priest pronounces our Saviour to be guilty of that of blasphemy; He hath spoken blasphemy. Hereupon the highpriest rends his clothes: it being usual with the Jews so to do, both to show their sorrow for it, and great detestation of it, and indignation against it.<\/p>\n Observe, 5. The vile affronts and horrid abuses which the enemies of our Saviour put upon him, they spit in his face, they blindfold him, they smite him with their hands, and in contempt and mockery bid him prophesy who it was that smote him. Verily, there is no degree of contempt, no mark of shame, no kind of suffering, which we ought to decline, or stick at for Christ’s sake, who hid not his face from shame and spitting upon our account.<\/p>\n Observe, 6. The high priest rends his clothes at Christ’s telling him, Ye shall see the Son of man sitting on God’s right hand, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Mar 14:62. And well might his clothes and his heart rend also. It was as if our Lord had said, “I that am now your prisoner, shall shortly be your judge. I now stand at your bar; and, ere long, you must stand at my tribunal. Those eyes of yours that now see me in the form of a servant, shall behold me in the clouds, at the right hand of your God, and my Father.”<\/p>\n Mar 14:51-52. There followed him a certain young man The ancients, or at least many of them, supposed, that the young man here mentioned by Mark was one of the apostles; though Grotius wonders how they could entertain such an idea, and apprehends it was some youth who lodged in a country-house, near the garden, who ran out in a hurry to see what was the matter, in his night vestment, or in his shirt, as we should express it. Dr. Macknight thinks it might be the proprietor of the garden, who, being awakened with the noise, came out in the linen cloth in which he had been lying, cast around his naked body, and, having a respect for Jesus, followed him, forgetting the dress he was in. And the young men , a common denomination for soldiers, among the Greeks. Though this incident, recorded by Mark, may not appear of great moment, it is, in my opinion, says Dr. Campbell, one of those circumstances we call picturesque, which, though in a manner unconnected with the story, enlivens the narrative. It must have been late in the night when (as has been very probably conjectured) some young man, whose house lay near the garden, being roused out of sleep by the noise of the soldiers and armed retinue passing by, got up, stimulated by curiosity, wrapped himself (as Casaubon supposes) in the cloth in which he had been sleeping, and ran after them. This is such an incident as is very likely to have happened, but most unlikely to have been invented. Laid hold on him Who was only suspected to be Christs disciple; but were not permitted to touch them who really were so!<\/p>\n Mar 14:51 f. The Young Man who Fled Naked.A curious little incident peculiar to Mk. Is it a popular addition to the story, recalling Gen 39:12 (so HNT), or is it a fulfilment of Amo 2:16 (so Loisy)? It is more naturally interpreted as a personal experience of the evangelist, as his signature to his portrait of Jesus.<\/p>\n Verse 51 <\/p>\n A certain young man; who, hearing the tumult as this party passed his dwelling, came out in a night dress to learn the cause.<\/p>\n 14:51 {13} And there followed him a certain young man, having a {m} linen cloth cast about [his] naked [body]; and the young men laid hold on him:<\/p>\n (13) Under a pretence of godliness, all things are lawful to those who do violence against Christ.<\/p>\n (m) Which he cast about him, and ran forth after he heard the commotion in the night: by this we may understand with how great licentiousness these villains violently set upon him.<\/p>\n Only Mark recorded this strange event. He described the young man (Gr. neaniskos<\/span>, between 24 and 40 years old) as one who was following Jesus. This description could mean he was one of the Twelve or simply someone who was sympathetic with Jesus. He was wearing a rather costly linen outer garment (Gr. sindon<\/span>) without an undergarment (Gr. chiton<\/span>). It may have been his sleeping garment. Perhaps he had been in bed in Jerusalem when he heard the mob leaving the city talking about arresting Jesus and decided to go along. When one of the soldiers seized him, he was so intent on abandoning Jesus that he was willing to run through the crowd naked rather than staying with Jesus. This man’s action further illustrates how eager Jesus’ followers were to save their own skins at the cost of Jesus’ safety and companionship. His naked condition highlights his fear and embarrassment (cf. Amo 2:16).<\/p>\n This incident makes little contribution to the story of Jesus’ arrest, apart from illustrating that everyone fled. Therefore some of the church fathers and most of the modern commentators have concluded that the young man was Mark, the writer of this Gospel. However there is no solid evidence for this. [Note: See Abraham Kuruvilla, "The Naked Runaway and the Enrobed Reporter of Mark 14, 16 : What Is the Author Doing with What He Is Saying? Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 54:3 (September 2011):527-45.] <\/span><\/p>\n And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about [his] naked [body]; and the young men laid hold on him: 51. a certain young man ] This forms an episode as characteristic of St Mark as that of the two disciples journeying to Emmaus is of St Luke. Some have … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 14:51”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24791","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24791"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24791\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24791"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24791"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24791"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Greek Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Gospel According to St. Mark: A Devotional Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"