There is something deeply instructive in this incident. It deserves the attentive study of all professing Chris- tians. Happy is he who marks the conduct of our Lord's disciples, and gathers from it wisdom !
Let us learn from the flight of these eleven disciples not to be over-confident in our own strength. The fear of man does indeed bring a snare. We never know what we may do, if we are tempted, or to what extent our faith may give way. Let us be clothed with hu- mility.
Let us learn to be charitable in our judgment of other Christians. Let us not expect too much from them, or set them down as having no grace at all, if we see them overtaken in a fault. Let us not forget that even our Lord's chosen apostles forsook Him in His time of need. Yet they rose again by repentance, and became pillars of the Church of Christ.
Finally, let us leave the passage with a deep sense of our Lord's ability to sympathize with His believing people. If there is one trial greater than another, it is the trial of being disappointed in those we love. It is a bitter cup, which all true Christians have frequently to drink. Ministers fail them. Kelations fail them. Friends fail them. One cistern after another proves to be broken, and to hold no water. But let them take comfort in the thought, that there is one unfailing Friend, even Jesus, who can be touched with the feeling of their infirmities, and has tasted of all their sorrows. Jesus knows what it is to see friends and disciples failing Him in the hour of need. Yet He bore it patiently, and loved them not- withstanding all. He is never weary of forgiving. Let
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us strive to do likewise. Jesus, at any rate, will never fail us. It is written, " His compassions fail not." (Lam. iii. 22*
* The question has often been asked, " Who was the ' certain young man/ mentioned at the end of this passage, on whom the young men laid hold, and who fled away naked ?" St, Mark is the only evangelist who relates this circumstance : and he has given us no clue to further knowledge as to who it was, or why the event is mentioned.
No satisfactory answer to these questions has yet been given. The utmost that can be said of any of the explanations attempted, is, that they are conjectures and speculations.
" Some," says Petter in his commentary on Mark, " have thought that it was one of the twelve disciples, viz., James the son of Alpheus, the Lord's brother, or kinsman of our Saviour (whose appearance was perhaps like our Lord's)." This is the view of Epiphanius and Jerome. Others have thought that it was John, the beloved disciple. This is the view of Ambrose, Chrysostom, and Gregory. But it could be neither of them, nor any other of the twelve, because it is said immediately before, that they " all fled" upon the taking of our Sa- viour, whereas this young man followed our Saviour at this time. It is more likely that it was some good young man, who dwelt near the garden of Gethsemane, who hearing the noise and stir that was made about the taking and binding of our Saviour, did arise suddenly out of his bed to see what was the matter, and perceiving that they had cruelly taken and bound our Saviour, and were leading Him away, did follow after Him to see what would be done with Him, whereby it appears that he was a well-wisher to our Saviour."
Theophylact and Euthymius think it probable that it was some young man who followed our Lord from the house where He ate the passover with His disciples. Some think that it was the Evan- gelist Mark himself.
Some have thought that St. Mark's purpose in relating the event, is to show the cruelty, rage, and ferocity of those who took our Lord. They were ready to lay hands on any one who was any where near Him, and to make prisoners indiscriminately of all who even appeared to be connected with him.
Some have thought that the whole transaction exhibits the utter de- sertion of our Lord. " This young man," says Clarius, " would rather escape naked than be taken as one of the followers of Christ."
Some have thought that it is related to show the real peril in
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