Who was the young man who fled naked in Mark 14:51-52?

Here is another conviction of which there is even less proof, yet after holding it for many years, I find that others have also held it. It is that the young man who followed the Lord at a distance, on the night of His betrayal, was John Mark himself, The soldiers, seeing him, snatched at his linen cloth. the only garment he had on him. "He left the linen cloth and fled from them naked." Only Mark records this, and I say that some think it was Mark himself who thus fled. But however that may be, I always think there is no other subordinate incident which gives such a graphic suggestion of the dismay and horror which fell upon the disciples of Christ on that terrible night.

The name Mark (Marcus) was merely a common Roman praenomen, like Caius or Publius; his Jewish name was John, and he was the nephew of Barnabas, and the son of that Mary at whose house the prayer-meetings were held (Acts 12.) — a house of such gracious christian hospitality that it was thither Peter first turned his steps when escaped from prison. This seemed to promise well. "La prédestination de l'enfant," says Lamartine, "c'est la maison on il est né." Not quite so, perhaps, but still we read, "Hezekiah … his mother's name was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord"; "Amaziah the son of Joash … his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem, and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord." Of a truth John Mark started from a good home. He was converted through Peter (1 Peter 5:13.) who seemed to enjoy a special welcome in the house. I wonder who that damsel Rhoda was who could not open the gate for gladness when she heard Peter's voice without, possibly Mark's sister: and at the very outset of his christian course, Barnabas and Paul took him with them on their missionary travels. He was Barnabas's relation and his cousin, the bishop, thought himself justified in bestowing his patronage on such a promising young "curate." Thus early did nepotism enter the church: simony had already knocked at the door by the hand of Simon Magus, but had not yet been admitted.

He surrenders Himself as the willing victim. Peter was ready to fight and cut off the ear of the high priest's servant. Mark omits the healing for he is to picture the Servant in His suffering and all relating to power is now out of place. In John's Gospel the Lord said one word, "I am," and those who came to arrest Him fell backward to the ground. John was guided by the Spirit of God to make a record of it. It could have no place in Mark's Gospel. They all forsook Him and fled. But only Mark tells of a certain young man, who followed and then fled naked. The young man may have been Mark himself.

Mark was an unfaithful servant during his youth. And yet the Lord gave him the task to write on his life as the faithful Servant of God.

It is Mark only who tells us of the young man who followed the Lord Jesus when He was arrested and who fled naked from them when they laid hold on him (chap. 14:51-52). Based on an old tradition it is assumed that this young man was Mark himself.

Mark was a cousin of Barnabas. (Col. 4:10, New Translation). From Babylon, Peter writes of him as "my son." (1 Peter 5:13). With an earnest Christian Mother and Cousin, the saints meeting in his Mother's house; and being so closely linked with Peter, knowing him perhaps from childhood, Mark must have had strong influences from the time he was quite young to follow the Lord. Some have thought he was the "young man" with the cloth cast about his naked body who followed the Lord to the Garden. You remember when "the young men laid hold on him … he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked." (Mark 14:51-52). Only Mark tells us of this incident: but we have no certainty that it was he.

153 Mark 14:51 f. — Some venture to regard the record of this incident as trivial. It is of the same order as Paul's request to Timothy in his second Epistle (2 Tim. 4:13). The "Irish clergyman" of Mr. F. W. Newman's "Phases of Faith" was restrained from parting with his library by Paul's words there, illustrative of a determination that no part of Scripture should be a dead letter for the author of "The Irrationalism of Infidelity." Nothing would seem to be too commonplace for the Holy Spirit's use.

W. Kelly, in Bible Treasury, vol. xx., p. 28, speaks of his impression that Mark himself is the person intended. So already Townson and Greswell had thought, as Olshausen and Lange, followed by Godet and Réville (ii. 378). Ewald suggested Paul; Plumptre, Lazarus.

Only one man in the New Testament bears the name of Mark. Since the 2nd century the Gospel according to Mark has been attributed to him. This Mark who was properly called John (and 'surnamed' Mark) was the son of a certain Mary who owned a house in Jerusalem (Acts 12:12). This is the house where Peter went to when he was freed from prison. John Mark was also a nephew (or cousin) of Barnabas, who at times was a companion of the Apostle Paul (Col. 4:10). Paul and Barnabas took John Mark with them as a servant during their first mission journey (Acts 12:25; 13:5). But Mark, probably still a young man, departed from them in Perga and returned to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13). When Barnabas wanted to take his relative with him for the second journey, Paul did not want to take him. This caused a separation (Acts 15:37-39). Only about 12 years later Mark's name reappears in the letters to the Colossians and to Philemon (Col. 4:10; Philemon 24). We find him now in Rome - with the arrested Paul. In the Second Epistle to Timothy, shortly before his death, Paul asks Timothy to bring Mark with him who now was a useful servant (2 Tim. 4:11). Mark is also mentioned in 1 Peter 5:13. Here Peter calls him his son. This is probably to indicate the close spiritual relationship with Mark.

"John whose surname was Mark" (Acts 12:12). This is our introduction, to him who is numbered amongst the Evangelists. Of his family we only know that his mother was called Mary, and that he was related to Barnabas — probably his cousin (Col. 4:10), and not nephew, as the Authorized Version states.

Called "my son" by Peter (who, however, uses a term never applied by Paul to his children in the faith), it has been commonly supposed that he was one of Simon's converts, though when and where converted none can now say. In reading Mark's Gospel we cannot divest ourselves of the impression that he writes of many things as an eye-witness, thus leading his readers to conclude that he must often have been found in the company of the Lord, as He went about ministering amongst men.

Mark alone gives us the incident of the young man following, having but a linen cloth about his naked body, but abandons it rather than be apprehended with Jesus.

"And all forsook Him and fled." Power would have kept them, but to yield to suffering began to take effect upon them. "The sheep were scattered." "And a certain young man followed Him, with a linen cloth cast about his naked body: and [the young men] seize him; but he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked."153 Vigour fails: so does shame. The first assault was enough to drive him away. Man is powerless to face death. The only reason why believers are able to face it — nay, even to welcome it and rejoice in it — is because of Christ Himself and His death. He has taken out the sting but it was not yet done. Consequently the disciples forsook Him and fled, young man and all. In Christ alone, who suffered for us, we stand. ["The young men"]: so ACcorr, etc., 1, (69), Syrhcl, and other vv; but Edd. omit, after ℵBCpmDLΔ, Amiat. and Memph.