51 And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: 52 And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked. (Mark 14:51-52 KJV)
A Young Man Flees From Arrest
During Jesus’ arrest in the garden of Gethsemane, the noise of the arrest disturbed the neighborhood, and a young man was drawn out by the commotion (Mark 14:51-52). This young man, likely not a disciple, threw a linen cloth over himself and followed out of curiosity. He may have lived nearby and, alarmed by the uproar, rushed out without dressing fully. As he followed Jesus, the soldiers grabbed him. He escaped by slipping out of the cloth and fled naked. This incident shows how brutal the arresting party was and how narrowly the disciples escaped. Only Jesus’ protection kept them from harm (John 18:8). It also shows that those drawn to Jesus by mere curiosity, without faith or conviction, will quickly fall away when danger arises.