The Naked Young Man (Mark 14:51-52)

As I shuttle back and forth from Promenade station, those twenty minutes have become some of the most serene moments of my life. It's always with a little regret that time passes so quickly as I step out of the train and into the mild zombie mood that I've slowly familiarized myself with. Nonetheless, every time I read a passage from the Bible, I inevitably learn something new, which never ceases to amaze me.


Anyway, under Vicar's orders to the entire congregation, I have begun reading the Gospel of Mark. I'm no stranger to the gospels, but it's strange how after finishing the minor prophets, I've begun to see this book very differently. Mark, I realized, paid great attention to the emotions of Jesus. The sighs, the anger, the love, all written in such detail not seen in the other gospels.

However, one particular verse intrigued me. Read this for yourself:

Jesus Arrested (Mark 14:43-52)

⁴³Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.

Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard." Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Rabbi!" and kissed him. The men seized Jesus and arrested him. Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

"Am I leading a rebellion," said Jesus, "that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled." Then everyone deserted him and fled.

A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.

Now who was this naked man? Why was he only wearing a linen garment? Why was he following Jesus? And why did Mark find it worthy enough to note it down in this gospel aimed at encouraging the Christians?

Out of pure curiosity, I began to search for the answers online. Apparently orthodox theologians are divided between two possibilities. One group believes that the young man was Mark himself, and that this was his autobiographical signature that most of the readers at that point of time would have understood without him having to explain it in detail. Another group believes that it was to fulfill some prophecies in the Old Testament about wicked people running away naked after realizing that all is lost.

Some of the more unorthodox ones begin to quote from the secret Gospel of Mark, claiming the man to be Lazarus, and even connecting the dots to project the image of a homosexual Jesus. A lot of problems with that one, not even counting the fact that the secret Gospel of Mark is in itself incredulous in a hundred ways.

But after thinking hard for some time, a question crossed my mind. Could it be that the theologians were aiming for the wrong things all along?

The first group of theologians were seeking to identify the naked young man, but could it be possible that Mark did not mean for the man to be identified?

The second group of theologians were trying ways and means to fit the embarrassing episode into a prophecy, but could it be possible that God never inspired Mark to write it based on Old Testament prophecy?


So, I've decided to use what Vicar calls "sanctified imagination" to address this issue to come out with a more believable answer.

Firstly, as I re-read the passage, I noticed three things about that man.

1. He was young.
2. He was wearing nothing but a linen cloth.
3. He ran away naked.

Point 1:
I believe that Mark had purposely mentioned that it was a young man on the basis that youths, in general, have less to lose in life. Given that youths do not feel tied down to family responsibilities e.g. family to feed, children to take care off; and that they are also generally more rebellious in attitude, whether for the former-mentioned reason or simply based on hormones. It would then be much easier to explain the fleeing of the older disciples and followers who had families to feed and other dependents such as elderly parents. A younger man would have less to worry about, and would probably be more inclined to stand and fight.

Point 2:
Nights in that area of the Middle-East are especially cold in that season, and theologians already agree that it was extremely strange for a man to wear only a single layer of cloth to venture out at night. Did you not find it strange too that none of the disciples offered their coat to the young man? Two possibilities are present, firstly, that the young man was an outcast for one very strong reason or another e.g. bad attitude, suspected spy by the Pharisees, or secondly, that he was just a strong-headed fellow with a gung-ho attitude and a penchant for ablution. Regardless, in any case, given that lack of unity with the dominant group of disciples or foolhardy courage, readers would expect that he would be more likely to stand up for Jesus during the latter's arrest.

Point 3:
It was extremely taboo in the Jewish culture to run around naked. The most recent guy to do that (as recorded in the Bible) was apparently demon-possessed and thrown out of town. Even King Nebuchadnezzar was given no chance and booted out of his own kingdom. Most readers from that era would have thought that the man would have returned just to beg for his coat back, just so that there would be no embarrassment to himself. But apparently, there wasn't even any courage to do so.


My final conclusion, I believe, is that Mark wrote that down to make an emphasis on the fact that even the boldest person with nothing to lose was too afraid to even stay. From the fact that none of the other gospels included this embarrassing episode, it is safe to say that Mark was trying show how terrified the people there were, and to show that even the bravest soul had abandoned the Son of God in this horrible moment. Given that the Gospel of Mark was the first Gospel among the four to be written, this supports the need for such a description, and that if theologians are right that Matthew and Luke had taken their reference from Mark, they might have found such an episode worthy of deletion given that most of their readers would not require so blatant a point that they should have gotten from the Gospel of Mark itself.

The takeaway for contemporary living is simply this: None of us should be too quick to say that we will do anything for Christ, much less something as silly as dying for Him. Peter, who ate with Jesus and listened firsthand to His Words, went so far as to declare that he would go to the very end for Him.

Of course, there were (and still are) people who died for the name of Jesus. I'm not saying that it's not possible; on the contrary, we should live everyday of our lives for Him. But understand that without the Holy Spirit, any such declaration would be foolhardy and a likely overestimation on our part. In time to come, some of us reading this post would have to endure death for His name, but till that glorious moment, we must try not to boast about it. Even those with nothing to lose, like that young man clad in nothing but a linen cloth, might flee for their lives when it is time for the rubber to hit the road.


Hopefully this provides a different perspective as compared to the contemporary theological debate, which I find somehow... flawed.




Dogmatic theological statements are neither logical propositions nor poetic utterances. They are shaggy dog stories; they have a point, but he who tries to hard to get it will miss it. -W.H. Auden

Time Will Tell

Truth forever on the scaffold,
Wrong forever on the throne.
Yet that scaffold sways the future,
And behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God behind the shadows,
Keeping watch above His own.
-James Russell Lowell (1819-1891)

What Drives You?

During a youth sharing session last Sunday, the question "What drives you?" was thrown to the forefront. It's easy to take such a question lightly, until one begins to slowly listen to the responses of those around him/her. Answers such as computer games, music, friends begin to emerge from the lips of the members sitting in a the little circle in the room.

Valid answers, all, I thought. But then again, how could it be? How can one be fueled by something like computer games? How can music be the oxygen that sustains the flickering flame that burns in the heart within? How can something like friends, which often change like the seasons, be something to look forward to everyday?

Then it was my turn to answer the question. It was not difficult to sense that although the question might be very exciting to answer, few would bother to listen to the answers of others. Why should I care, after all, about the force that drives my brother's life?

My answer to the question is simply this: expectations and responsibilities.

I don't know if it's Biblically proven, but that's the measuring stick that I use to draw the line between maturity and immaturity. I grew up accustom to not making demands of anyone but myself, and living and breathing to accomplish the expectations set for me, and the responsibilities tied to my position.

In this case, immaturity is seen through the desire to live for one's personal pleasure, to throw one's responsibilities aside and to do what one wants to do.

How can one be considered mature, if all one does is live for tomorrow's pleasure? I am not able to understand. Then again, the world celebrates the eccentricity of desire, the madness of lust and the beauty of "following one's heart".

Do we not fall in love with Audrey Hepburn's amazing character portrayal of Holly Golightly, the eccentric gold-digger in Breakfast at Tiffany's? Are we not obsessed with the strange antics of Lady Gaga, the self-obsession of Michael Jackson and the fashion of David Beckham? The world today celebrates a drive that is supposedly "true to oneself", "honest" yet "glamorous" and noticeably consumer-based.

It was foolish to believe that the working world would be as meritocratic as the education system, even if the latter wasn't perfect. Truth to be told, it is even more skewed. Hard work and a sharp mind is worth little, interpersonal skills and a strong alcohol tolerance is probably more useful. Personal wealth still possess the strongest correlation with success.

But the people with supposedly the most "charisma" I find, are simply those who recklessly pursue what they want to pursue i.e. their heart's desire. I see men who possess credentials that would make my resume little more than a blank piece of paper.

They are not older men with a wealth of experience beyond me. Almost all of them were younger than me, but my goodness, the things they have had!

Some of them collected cars, some of them have amazing portfolios of photography, some of them have numerous investment experiences, some of them have almost half a decade of experience with the stock market. Some of them have almost double-digit internships, some of them were renowned models, some of them fashion designers invited onto the world stage to fly all over the world. Some of them are entrepreneurs who appear on magazines, some of them are born-socialites, some of them are webmasters of internet portals with more than a million visits a week.

In my line of work, I have to familiarize myself with such people, and boy, do they blow you away! I shall not even venture to mention how pathetic I feel when compared to them. But then again, they are men who pursue what they really want, without a care in the world. And such behavior makes them attractive, and in today's media-crazy world, superstars.

Then I begin to ask myself: Why am I the total opposite?

The thing that fuels my life is the very thing that these men despise. Expectations and responsibilities. Of course, I can satisfy myself with the easy answer that every single one of them were rich, and if one is rich, one doesn't have to deal with expectations and responsibilities.

But I refuse to be satisfied with such an shallow answer. Then again, avoiding the question only makes my drive become a burden.

It doesn't help to think that God has expectations for me too, and that there are responsibilities to being a Christian. My very definition of maturity has become my stumbling block in a world that valorizes the chasing of one's desire.

Unlike them, I have nothing to show. No credentials, no medals, no portfolio. I had chosen to be a nerd during my student life, to write songs and stories over the holidays, take up church responsibilities over my weekends. When they were busy building their resumes by taking part-time jobs, learning about the stock market, socializing with societies' aristocrats, I chose to read self-help books, play computer games and tinkle on my guitar imagining I was a rock star. When they were busy trading on Wall Street, purchasing expensive equipment and studying about the latest fashion trends, I was doing my best to be a good son, take as little money as I could from my parents, and struggling with being a good Christian (to no avail as I soon learned).

Comparing myself to them, I think I've wasted my youth. As much as I tried to live a life without regrets, I had aimed for the wrong thing.


My life's fuel was topped up with "Expectations & Responsibilities" gas.


And with cars that run on "Pure Desire" overtaking me by the busloads, my bicycle engine is refusing to kick-start any longer.




I should have followed my "heart".





The first principle of success is desire - knowing what you want. Desire is the planting of your seed. -Robert Collier

You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. -David (Psalm 145:16)

Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (PBM)

Congratulations on your PBM award, dad. We are proud of you.



You know, fathers just have a way of putting everything together. -Erika Cosby

A wise son heeds his father's instruction, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke. -Solomon (Proverbs 13:1)

Thankfulness and... A Red Bean Bun

Sometimes, I find myself thanking God for the littlest/strangest things that most people, I believe, don't really write about.


I thank God that Singapore is somewhere in the equator, and that despite the unbearable weather, the location makes me feel "central". New Zealand might be beautiful, but when I'm there, I feel like the world's forgotten me.


I thank God for chocolates, even thought I don't eat them. But I like that they make people happier.


I thank God for riffs, motifs and patterns in music, because they make me feel like bobbing my head and dancing. It gives music that reliable repetition in a framework that allows for magical improvisation.


I thank God for those long, sometimes terrible moments of loneliness, because even if all I'm doing is just complain and complain to Him, at least I'm talking to Him about it.


I thank God for that little lag time when I'm opening an Excel or Word document, or when I'm waiting for a web page to load. Some of those few seconds have caused me to make life-changing decisions, like not flaming an irresponsible remark online or closing the page before something immoral appears.


I thank God that my family does not have the money so that I can afford me an iPhone, sports channel, an X-box or a Playstation. There have been times when I'm so bored to death at home that I'd actually open my textbooks to study or my company email to finish up work. During the school holidays, I'd actually write out my unreal fantasies or attempt to work out a romance novel.


I thank God that most of my friends think that I'm probably too busy and/or too popular to go out with them. It has brought cause for free occasions for me to blog reflectively, to do housework, have dinners with my family (very often), read my Bible more thoroughly or work out at the gym.


I thank God that for that extremely cynical side of me, even if I don't like it very much. It has provided much balance in a personality very much inclined to positive leadership during crisis so that I make decisions informed with more than just viewpoints from one perspective.



And finally, I thank God my taste buds are really simple, and that the world hasn't reached a stage where we were charged according to the amount of satisfaction that we received from buying goods. Tofu, curry chicken, sparkling juice, steamed bao or anything from the mixed rice store would become terribly expensive.



My red bean bun would cost $15 dollars, and caviar 20 cents.




Oh, let me be the first to know when you're craving for a red bean bun again.







No one but a fool would measure their satisfaction by what the world thinks of it. -Oliver Goldsmith

When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. -David (Psalms 104:8)