The Young Man Who Ran

Mark 14:51-51

"A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind."

Once again, an anonymous person. He, however, must have some importance to merit a mention in the gospel. Who was he?Why did he have only a linen garment (in NLT, a long linen shirt)? Why no cloak, considering it might have been chilly at night?

Maybe he was about to rest for the night when he saw the group going towards Gethsemane. Maybe he wanted just to see this Jesus who was so popular. So he ran out of his house and in his haste that he forgot to put on his cloak.

But his curiosity turned awry. What he thought was just a curious crowd following Jesus was actually an angry armed mob (most likely hyped up by the Pharisees) that had set out to arrest Jesus. SIDE NOTE: The chief priests, teachers of the law and elders were such cowards for sending a mob to arrest Jesus 1) at night 2) in an isolated place 3) armed with swords and clubs.

The disciples ALL fled and deserted him, thinking that they too will be arrested. Maybe the mob wanted to arrest them but, because they all had fled, they pounced on the poor young man. A case of mistaken identity? A case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. In his fear, he did everything he could do to escape, even getting out of his garment and flee naked.

What lesson can we learn from this young man? I'm still mulling on this one.

A Lamp on a Stand

Luke 8:16 "No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light."

We have a lamp in our sala. A gift from a friend, given long time ago. It hasn't been lit for quite some time because we feel that there is no need for its light. There are other light fixtures that do the job of illuminating the house in specific areas. So, it stands in a corner, adorned with hanging turquoise and gold ornaments as dictated by design trends. Its wire has been rolled away and it remains unlit, a mere accessory for the room.

Somehow it represents my testimony of the Gospel. It's pretty and people notice it, but the question I need to ask is this: Have I rolled away the means for the Gospel to shed light on those lives who need to hear it? How long has it been since I've actually led someone in prayer to accept Jesus in her heart and receive the gift of salvation? Shouldn't I plug in once again to the Source of Light?

Lord, give me, by Your Holy Spirit, a renewed boldness to proclaim the Gospel of Salvation.