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And a young man followed Him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked. (Mark 14:51-52)
I wonder about this young man. Tradition suggests that it was Mark himself, the future Gospel writer, and that he was connected to the family that hosted Jesus’ Last Supper. If so, it’s easy to see how a curious young man might have sneaked out of bed late that night to follow Jesus and His band of disciples out to Gethsemane. If he had to go quickly, he might have grabbed the first thing that came to hand—rather like wearing a bathrobe.
The young man got more than he bargained for. He wasn’t expecting to see Jesus arrested. He wasn’t expecting the crowd to come for him also. As it was, he barely escaped. He left the linen cloth behind—saving his own skin, yes, but at the cost of his dignity.
He also left Jesus—and that was his blessing, not his loss. Because Jesus would take his place, and ours, in the suffering that was to follow. To rescue all people from sin, death, and the devil, Jesus would accept flogging—condemnation—and death on a cross. And then He would rise from the dead, three days later, to cover our sin and shame with the white robes of forgiveness and mercy. Because Jesus loves us and took our place, we now live with Him as God’s own children forever.
WE PRAY: Lord, thank You for covering my shame and making me Yours. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
- What do you grab when you’re in too much of a hurry to dress normally?
- How do you cope when you feel embarrassed or ashamed?
- Does it help to know that Jesus has taken away all your sin, shame, and guilt, replacing it with the white robes of His forgiveness?
Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
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