I. Did Jesus Drop the Ball? Why Your Mother Always Told You To Wear Clean Underwear. John Mark, often called Mark, is the author of the Gospel of Mark. He was a believer in the early church mentioned in the book of Acts as the son of a woman named Mary (Acts 12:12), whose house was used as a place for believers to gather. He is a companion of Barnabas & Paul during their travels (Acts 12:25), and was Barnabas’ cousin (Colossians 4:10). It wasn’t unusual for someone to go by a Hebrew and Roman(or Greek)name, as with Saul, also called Paul, and Peter, also called Simon or Cephas. Mark was a helper on Paul and Barnabas’ first missionary journey (Acts 13:5) but deserted them in Pamphylia and left the work (Acts 15:38). The Bible doesn't say why, but it’s likely he was discouraged at the hardness of the way and returned to the comforts of home. After they had returned from their first journey, Paul desired to go back to the cities they had previously visited (Acts 15:36). Barnabas agreed, if they take Mark with them. Paul refused... thinking they needed someone more dependable...leading to a “sharp disagreement” (V 39). They went on separate journeys. Barnabas took Mark to Cyprus, and Paul took Silas through Syria and Cilicia (Acts 15:39–41). Barnabas, the “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36), forgave Mark’s failure and gave him another chance. Paul knew that missionary work required dedication, resolve, and endurance and saw Mark as a risk to the mission. In the end, 2groups of missionaries were sent out to spread the gospel. No ball dropping here, despite how it might have looked! Paul later calls him a “fellow worker” (Philemon 1:24), and near the end of Paul's life, requests from prison: “Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11). Mark matured through the years and had become a faithful servant of the Lord. Paul recognized this. John Mark wrote the gospel that bears his name between AD 55 and 59. READ: Mark 14:43-52 - Betrayal and Arrest in Gethsemane A Young Man Flees Naked (V51-52) This occurs right after Jesus’s betrayal and subsequent arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. The account has been described as bizarre, confusing, and even whimsical. But this singular event is in the Bible, so it was included for a reason. Who was the young man, and why include this information about him? Here is a young man who followed Jesus. When he was seized by the Roman soldiers, he escaped and ran, leaving his garment behind. His identity is not given, but since the Gospel of Mark is the only one that mentions the incident, many speculate that the young man was John Mark himself. It is impossible to know for sure, since the Bible does not identify him. Some guess the rich young ruler, the angel who showed up in the tomb. Some say Joseph of Arimathea because he wrapped Jesus in a linen garment. There are many explanations and supposed hidden meanings...none with any clear biblical support. But the identity of the young manmust have had meaning to the original readers of the Gospel. The identity that makes the most sense, is John Mark himself. (Un)Cloaked in Mystery Many have speculated as to it's meaning. Matthew and Luke don't mention it, which leads some to believe it is irrelevant to the point of Mark’s overall story. But we know better! It has been suggested that the fugitive represents the disciples, the cloth represents Jesus and the young men represent the Roman Soldiers...a metaphor representing the disciples abandoning Jesus and running out of the garden spiritually naked and alone. That's actually not far from the truth, but are these verses meant to be allegorical? Or a parable? What Was Mark Thinking? Mark's Gospel isn't written carelessly, to just toss something insignificance into the mix. As with all his Gospel, Mark is deliberate and purposeful. He had a goal in telling this story. To determine what that was, we have to pay close attention to the text itself. What do we see here? A Symbol of Failure Following the betrayal by Judas and arrest of Jesus (V43–49), the disciples left him (V50). Then we see the young man who “followed Jesus” and who left his garment behind and fled. “Followed” Jesus. akoloutheō : “One who joins him as his attendant, accompany him, to join one as a disciple, become or be his disciple”. This wasn't just some guy who followed them to feed his curiosity. This was what Jesus called the disciples to do. Mark is labeling the young man a “disciple.” The flight of this young man, makes clear the failure of Jesus’ disciples. They left all to follow Him. But now Mark shows his readers that they have left all to get away from Jesus...symbolic of the abandonment of Jesus by the disciples who fled the consequences of association with Him. “Linen cloth” is sindōn “a light and loose garment worn at night over the naked body”, (others refer to it as a sheet rather than a shirt). There is only one other instance of the word for “linen cloth” in Mark’s Gospel, in reference to the burial shroud of Jesus (Mark 15:46). The disciple is stripped of the “linen cloth” he wore, and following a degrading crucifixion, a “linen cloth” becomes Jesus’s burial shroud. The Shame of Abandonment At the Mount of Olives on his way to Gethsemane, Jesus had warned his disciples that they would all fall away. Peter protested that he would not; and the rest of the disciples vehemently denied the possibility that they would be faithless. READ Mark 14:27-31. Yet they fled. Now for a brief, closer look at John Mark during this event. John Mark - Terror in the Night Mark 14:51: “And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him”. That's the only record of anybody but Jesus being seized. They were going to seize the disciples who probably saw this coming. Maybe this young man was too close to one of the soldiers, maybe he was a little too slow..maybe groggy. V52: “But he left the linen cloth and he fled naked.” He was so terrified that he would rather be running naked in the woods than be arrested. As unexpected as the appearance of this man was in the Gospel of Mark, his presence is significant. And who among us has not failed as we follow Jesus? In one way or another, we have all fallen—in sin, in faithfulness, courage, commitment. And we continue to stumble. Is there hope for us? Remember Mark. He stumbled several times but matured as a result and became a faithful servant. In Summary: What did Mark want to communicate to us? We see a more detailed picture here..a brief window into these events...of what that night must have been like. We need to let the narrative make us feel some of what must have been going on. First, high emotions were being experienced, as there is during a crisis (fear, stress, anger). You don’t lunge at somebody with a sword and cut off an ear unless you are stressed. These soldiers could have overwhelmed and killed every last one of them had Jesus not interceded. Second, the text shows that Jesus is not only innocent, but remarkably poised and, in a sense, in charge. He says, “Day after day I was with you in the temple and you didn’t seize me there?” This is a composed man in the face of what was going on...and what was going to happen to Him. Third, the thing to understand is that everybody is forsaking Jesus. Here is the One they have been with for three years, and they were so scared that they ran away....to fulfill the Scriptures, Mark 14:49-50 tells us: “‘But let the Scripture be fulfilled.’ And they all left Him and fled”. So despite a massive failure, from one angle, it is totally according to plan...to fulfill Scripture. So neither God (nor Jesus) is dropping the ball here at all. Jesus is not out of control, though, on the surface, it may have appeared so. But everything moved according to plan. Sometimes what we see doesn't make sense, on the face of it. But God doesn't ever drop the ball! Ever. I personally find comfort in that...though, still fail to see His hand at work until all is said and done. And wondered why I couldn't see His purpose and timing sooner. Guess there is still room to grow!.