I have not idea what is with this part of the Bible story. When Jesus is led away to be judged, there is a young man there who is naked except for a linen cloth. They tried to capture him but he fled naked without the cloth.
The implications of this in the modern world are clear. But, assuming that everything is included in the Word for a reason, why was this part included?
Reviewing a number of commentaries most simply say that this was the owner of the garden, or simply one of many followers, who was roused late in the night with the sound of the arrest, and hurried to see what was going on.
One commentary points to the importance of the family of Lazarus. This may have been Lazarus, it says, and the linen cloth was the death shroud that he was wrapped in prior to his raising from the dead. he may have stayed in that state after the resurrection. This family of Bethany has importance throughout the Bible, and the lack of stated names may have been an effort to secure their identity in the early church. The woman who poured the expensive oil of Jesus is said to be Lazarus’ sister.
There is a lot of conjecture here. In the story of the rich man who asked how to follow Jesus and was told to sell all his possessions we might have been introduced to Lazarus. So, we know that the young rich man went away sad because he many many possessions, but we do not know if followed through. Selling “everything” may have been taken literally and all he had was the linen cloth.
So, here we have a rich man, who is supporting Jesus’ ministry by selling all his wealth. This may, in fact be Lazarus, and he has nothing save for the linen cloth he was buried in…if he was a rich and well-known supporter of Jesus, this would justify why they tried to arrest him. He ran away and that whole story may relate to other stories told by Lazarus’ family.
What does it symbolize?
Jesus is about to be put to death. We are alive but naked and shrouded by death. Death itself, represented by the arresting officers seeks to capture us, but we leave death behind and flee to freedom, naked before God. I’m presuming meaning here, as this may simply be a narrative to communicate to the young man himself and his legacy. But, there are a number of references to ho we naked before God in the Bible. The difference here is that this person left death behind.
Two Raised from the Dead
It also strikes me that although we praised Jesus because of the fact the fact that he rose from the dead, his is, indeed, the SECOND person to have done this. Lazarus was raised front the dead. If all I said above is true, then God had special plans for Lazarus (and possibly his whole, very wealthy family).
———-
Mark K.