Church Fathers Commentary Mark 14:43-52

"And straightway, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he; take him, and lead him away safely. And when he was come, straightway he came to him, and saith, Rabbi; and kissed him. And they laid hands on him, and took him. But a certain one of them that stood by drew his sword, and smote the servant of the high priest, and struck off his ear. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a robber, with swords and staves to seize me? I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but [this is done] that the scriptures might be fulfilled. And they all left him, and fled. And a certain young man followed with him, having a linen cloth cast about him, over [his] naked [body]: and they lay hold on him; but he left the linen cloth, and fled naked." — Mark 14:43-52 (ASV)

The Venerable Bede: After our Lord had prayed three times and had obtained through His prayers that the Apostles' fear would be corrected by future repentance, He, being at peace about His Passion, went to His persecutors. Regarding their arrival, the Evangelist says, "And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, came."

Theophylact of Ohrid: This is not included without reason, but for the greater condemnation of the traitor, since, although he was part of the inner circle of disciples, he turned to a furious hostility against our Lord.

There follows: "And with him a great multitude with swords and clubs from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders."

Pseudo-Jerome: For whoever despairs of God's help resorts to the power of the world.

The Venerable Bede: But Judas still had some of the shame of a disciple, for he did not betray Him openly to His persecutors, but by the sign of a kiss.

Therefore it continues: "And the one who betrayed Him had given them a sign, saying, 'The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away securely.'"

Theophylact of Ohrid: See how, in his blindness, he thought he could deceive Christ with a kiss, so that Christ would see him as a friend. But if you were a friend, Judas, why did you come with His enemies? But wickedness is always shortsighted.

It continues: "And as soon as he arrived, he went straight to Him and said, 'Master, master,' and kissed Him."

Pseudo-Jerome: Judas gives the kiss as a sign, with poisonous deceit, just as Cain offered a crafty, wicked sacrifice.

The Venerable Bede: With envy and wicked confidence, he calls Him Master and gives Him a kiss in the act of betraying Him. But the Lord receives the traitor's kiss, not to teach us to be deceitful, but so that He would not seem to be avoiding the betrayal, and at the same time, to fulfill that Psalm: "Among those who are enemies of peace, I labor for peace" (Psalm 120:7).

It continues: "And they laid hands on Him and arrested Him."

Pseudo-Jerome: This is the Joseph who was sold by his brothers (Psalm 105:18), "and into whose soul the iron entered."ⁱ

There follows: "And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and struck a servant of the High Priest, and cut off his ear."

The Venerable Bede: Peter did this, as John declares, with the same passionate spirit with which he did all things; for he knew how Phinehas, by punishing sacrilegious people, had received the reward of righteousness and a perpetual priesthood.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Mark conceals his name so that he would not seem to be praising his master for his zeal for Christ. Furthermore, Peter's action indicates that the authorities were disobedient and unbelieving, for they despised the Scriptures. If they had ears to hear the Scriptures, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. He cut off the ear of a servant of the High Priest because the chief priests, like disobedient servants, especially ignored the Scriptures.

It continues: "And Jesus answered and said to them, 'Have you come out with swords and clubs to capture me, as you would against a thief?'"

The Venerable Bede: It is as if He said, "It is foolish to pursue with swords and clubs someone who offers Himself to you of His own accord, and to search by night with a traitor's help for one who hides, when He is the one who taught daily in the temple."

Theophylact of Ohrid: This, however, is a proof of His divinity. When He taught in the temple, they were unable to capture Him, even though He was in their power, because the time for His Passion had not yet come. But when He Himself was willing, He gave Himself up so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: "for he was led as a lamb to the slaughter," not crying nor raising His voice, but suffering willingly.

It continues: "And they all forsook Him and fled."

The Venerable Bede: In this, the word which the Lord had spoken was fulfilled: that all His disciples would be scandalized because of Him that same night.

There follows: "And a certain young man followed Him, wearing a linen cloth wrapped around his naked body." This means he had no other clothing but this linen cloth.

It continues: "And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked." That is, he fled from them—whose presence and actions he detested—but not from the Lord. His love for the Lord remained fixed in his mind, even when he was physically absent from Him.

Pseudo-Jerome: Just as Joseph left his cloak behind and fled naked from the adulterous woman, so also let anyone who wishes to escape the hands of the wicked forsake in his mind all that belongs to the world and flee after Jesus.

Theophylact of Ohrid: It seems probable that this young man was from the house where they had eaten the Passover. However, some say that this young man was James, the brother of our Lord, who was called "the Just" and who, after Christ's ascension, received the bishop's throne of Jerusalem from the Apostles.

St. Gregory the Great: Alternatively, he says this about John, who, although he later returned to the cross to hear the Redeemer's words, was at first frightened and fled.¹

The Venerable Bede: That he was a young man at that time is evident from his long life. Perhaps he escaped from the hands of those who briefly held him. Afterwards, he may have retrieved his garment and returned, mingling in the darkness with those leading Jesus as if he were one of them. He continued this way until he arrived at the door of the High Priest, to whom he was known, as he himself testifies in his Gospel.

But just as Peter, who washed away the sin of his denial with tears of repentance, shows the path to recovery for those who fall away during martyrdom, so the other disciples, who avoided being captured, teach the prudence of fleeing to those who feel they are not strong enough to endure torture.

1. Mor. 14, 49