Kata Markon

["Ray Pickett" <rpickett AT lsps.edu>]

I take the "young man" (neaniskon) who appears dressed in a white robe in 16:5 to be the same "young man" (neaniskos) who flees naked in 14:51-52. I have thought this for so long I can't even remember whose idea it is, but I think I may have read it in an article by Robin Scroggs.

 

If this is a plausible rendering, then it would suggest a catechetical use of Mark in a baptismal liturgy. The baptizand identifies with the "young man" in his nakedness during the passion where all desert Jesus and flee (14:50) only to be raised and clothed with Christ so that fear can give way to faithful following of Jesus.

 

This is just one possibility, but it seems to me that the "young man" in the tomb requires as much of an explanation as the "young man" in 14:51-2.

 

Ray Pickett

----- Original Message -----

From: JFAlward AT aol.com

To: Kata Markon

Sent: Monday, March 12, 2001 2:24 PM

Subject: [gmark] Flight of the Naked Young Man

Is there a consensus on this list about the young man at Gethsemane?  

"A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus.  When
they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind."  (Mark 14:51-52)
 

I've argued that the flight of the naked man was meant by Mark to
symbolically expose the uncleanliness and shame of Jerusalem and the high
priests:

”Your nakedness will be exposed and your shame uncovered."  (Isaiah 47:3 )

"Jerusalem has sinned greatly and so has become unclean. All who honored her 
despise her, for they have seen her nakedness." (Lamentations 1:8)

Given the extremely tight connections Mark maintains between his gospels and
the Old Testament, this explanation seems to be more likely to be correct
than others I've heard.  Does anyone disagree?


Regards,

Joe Alward




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