THE NAKED MAN WHO RAN AWAY

There is a strange little detail in the story of Jesus’ arrest that is easy to overlook. As Jesus was taken away, Mark tells us that a young man followed Him, wearing nothing but a linen cloth. When the crowd seized him, he left the linen cloth behind and fled away naked (Mark 14:51-52). Mark gives us only two verses, but those two verses leave us with a powerful picture of what fear can do to a person.

HE FOLLOWED JESUS

The young man was following Jesus. He was close enough to be present when the soldiers came to arrest Him. Perhaps he intended to see what would happen. Perhaps he wanted to remain near the Lord. Whatever his reason, he was there when Jesus was taken.

But being near Jesus is not the same thing as being willing to suffer for Jesus. There is a difference between following Christ when the road is easy and following Him when the road leads toward suffering. Many people are willing to walk with Jesus until walking with Him becomes costly.

HE RAN FROM JESUS

When the young man was seized, fear overcame him. He left his linen cloth in their hands and ran away naked (Mark 14:52). He had been following Jesus, but suddenly he was more concerned about saving himself than remaining with his Lord.

What a picture of human weakness. Fear can make us abandon what we once intended to do. We may say that we will stand, but when pressure comes, our courage can disappear quickly.

Peter had just declared that even if everyone else abandoned Jesus, he would not (Mark 14:29-31). And yet within hours, Peter denied knowing Him. The young man ran. Peter denied. The disciples scattered. Jesus stood alone.

JESUS DID NOT RUN

There is an important contrast in the story. The young man ran away, but Jesus did not.

Jesus knew exactly what awaited Him. He knew the betrayal, the false accusations, the beating, the cross, and the suffering that were coming. Yet He willingly surrendered Himself to those who came to arrest Him.

The disciples were afraid because they were looking at what they might lose. Jesus was willing to suffer because He was looking at what He came to accomplish.

That is the difference between human courage and divine commitment. Jesus did not go to the cross because it was easy. He went because He loved us.

The naked man reminds us of our weakness. Jesus reminds us of His faithfulness.

We may run when we should stand. We may become afraid when we should trust. We may fail when we intended to be faithful. But our failures do not change the faithfulness of Christ.

The story of the naked man is only two verses long, but perhaps that is enough. Mark leaves him running into the darkness while Jesus continues toward the cross. One ran away from suffering. The other ran toward it.

And Jesus went toward the cross for people just like us.

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PRAYER

Father, give me courage to follow Jesus when following Him becomes difficult. When fear tells me to run, give me faith to stand. When I am weak, remind me that Jesus was faithful when everyone else failed. Help me never to be ashamed of Christ, but to remain faithful to Him wherever He leads me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

BDD