What's Up With The Naked Dude In The Gospel Today?

[TeresaBenedicta]

I've never noticed him before, but when listening to the proclamation of the Gospel today, I was struck by that very short appearance of a random naked dude running away after Jesus was arrested in the garden.

[Theologian in Training]

[quote name='TeresaBenedicta' post='1825300' date='Apr 5 2009, 05:45 PM']I've never noticed him before, but when listening to the proclamation of the Gospel today, I was struck by that very short appearance of a random naked dude running away after Jesus was arrested in the garden.[/quote]

My guess is they were holding him by the cloth, he unfastened it to get away. Kind of like if someone is holding you by the shirt, you get out of the shirt to get away.

In other words, he would rather run through the crowd naked than be captured by the soldiers.

[HisChildForever]

I have heard a theory that it was Mark and he was either really present or just penciling himself in as a cameo appearance.

[Galloglasses' Alt]

[quote name='HisChildForever' post='1825317' date='Apr 5 2009, 03:51 PM']I have heard a theory that it was Mark and he was either really present or just penciling himself in as a cameo appearance.[/quote]
Not sure how you came to that conclusion, there's no real suggestion its Mark.

[dauntingknight]

whaaa?

[HisChildForever]

[quote name='Galloglasses' Alt' post='1825321' date='Apr 5 2009, 04:54 PM']Not sure how you came to that conclusion, there's no real suggestion its Mark.[/quote]

I believe I stated [i]I have heard a theory[/i]. I never came to ANY conclusion.

[Saint Therese]

Man this argument might win an award. From peaceful to contentious in less than seven posts.

[MIKolbe]

yeah

Erin's real talented.

[Luthien]

I always thought it was John, but Im no scholar. Edited April 5, 2009 by Luthien

[tinytherese]

Yet another question that I have to make note of to ask when I'm in heaven. I have questions for Our Lord, Our Lady, and the saints (provided that I make it.)

[eagle_eye222001]

[url="http://somehavehats.typepad.com/some_have_hats/2006/04/whats_up_with_t.html"]http://somehavehats.typepad.com/some_have_..._up_with_t.html[/url]

[i]I noticed that T.O. mentioned that one of his burning questions for God is 'What's up with the naked man?" in Mark's telling of the Passion. My husband had the same question on Sunday, while we were making lunch. We have this conversation every single Palm Sunday. If I don't have it with him, I have it with someone else, usually a man. Men seem to have a difficult time with the naked man. Well, straight men do. Gay men will tell you that this is proof that Jesus was gay -- he wasn't married and he was being followed around by a naked man in a sheet. At which point, I argue that a man in a sheet is not a naked man, it is a man in a sheet. And the conversation goes downhill from there.

I don't have a problem with the man in the sheet. Mark wasn't much of a writer, but it seems to me that his point was obvious. He was trying to say that the man was so afraid of being captured, he'd rather run through the crowd naked than take the time to try to get his sheet back. Coming on the heels of the story of Peter denying that he knows Jesus, that makes sense to me.

I don't know why the guy was wearing nothing but a sheet. Maybe it was hot. Maybe he thought he looked good in a sheet. Maybe he hadn't had time to do the laundry that week. Who cares?

Here's one thing I'm pretty sure of: if Mark had had an editor, we would never have known about the naked guy. So guys. Get over it.[/i]

[Moosey]

[quote name='tinytherese' post='1825366' date='Apr 5 2009, 06:12 PM']Yet another question that I have to make note of to ask when I'm in heaven. I have questions for Our Lord, Our Lady, and the saints (provided that I make it.)[/quote]

Me too. One of my many questions is going to be "Did Adam and Eve have belly buttons?"

Edited April 5, 2009 by Moosey

[tinytherese]

[quote name='Moosey' post='1825369' date='Apr 5 2009, 05:14 PM']Me too. One of my many questions is going to be "Did Adam and Eve have belly buttons?"[/quote]

I've read that book and have "Did Jesus Have a Last Name?" too.

I hope that I remember my questions, but then again it's eternity. I'll have lots of time to remember them.

[HisChildForever]

[quote]In Word Meanings in the New Testament, Ralph Earle comments, “This brief incident is found only in this Gospel. It might be Mark’s way of saying, ‘I was there.’ If the Last Supper took place in the home of John Mark’s mother (cf. Acts 12:12), Judas Iscariot may have returned there first to betray Jesus. We can then understand how John Mark would be roused, perhaps grab a sheet to cover his body, and rush to [Gethsemane] to warn Jesus.”

Ralph Earle, Th.D. Word Meanings in the New Testament, One-Volume Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1986), p. 47.[/quote]

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='Theologian in Training' post='1825313' date='Apr 5 2009, 03:50 PM']My guess is they were holding him by the cloth, he unfastened it to get away. Kind of like if someone is holding you by the shirt, you get out of the shirt to get away.

In other words, he would rather run through the crowd naked than be captured by the soldiers.[/quote]
I makes perfect rational sense, but somehow it doesn't sit entirely comfortably with me.
I mean, it seems like everything else in the Bible has a very deep secondary meaning to it. This 'random naked guy' really doesn't do anything to help the narrative along, so saying that he just wanted to escape the soldiers seems... I dunno. It seems like I'm missing something important.