What does Mark 14:51-52 mean?

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.

Mark Chapter 14

1. The Plot to Kill Jesus, Mark 14:1-2
2. Jesus Anointed at Bethany, Mark 14:3-9
3. Judas to Betray Jesus, Mark 14:10-11
4. Jesus Prepares for the Passover, Mark 14:12-16
5. Jesus Eats the Passover with the Disciples, Mark 14:17-21
6. Institution of the Lord’s Supper, Mark 14:22-26
7. Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial, Mark 14:27-31
8. Jesus Prays in Gethsemane, Mark 14:32-42
9. Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus, Mark 14:43-50
10. A Young Man Flees, Mark 14:51-52
11. Jesus Before the Council, Mark 14:53-65
12. Peter Denies Jesus, Mark 14:66-72