A young man followed Him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body; and they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked. (Mark 14:51-52)

To understand what follows, cast loose your imagination for the moment. In this sermon, I am going to pretend that I am a Bible character who lived two thousand years ago, and I am writing a letter to the modern-day Christian church. The letter begins as follows:

I.

My name is John Mark. I was a witness to the last night Jesus spent on earth, and I represent all children at the events you call the Passion. Yes, it's true. It wasn't just grown-ups who were with Jesus that final night. I was there, too. I am the boy who ran away naked when they arrested our Lord.

The events I'll describe began with the Last Supper. Do you remember h…