The arrest of Jesus
Reflection on a reading from today's Church of England Lectionary. 30 September 2021. Mark 14: 43 - 52.
The soldiers arrive in the garden to arrest Jesus. They are guided by Judas Iscariat who, as one of Jesus's disciples, shared the Passover meal with him just hours before, taking the bread from his hand and drinking from the same cup. The prearranged signal of Judas kissing him allowed the soldiers to arrest Jesus immediately. Despite the dramatic and frightening circumstances Jesus had the presence of mind to protest to the soldiers that they need not have come after him with weapons but that they could have arrested him at any time in the last few days.
At this point the disciples fear overcame them, they forgot their assurances of loyalty and they fled. A young man who had been dressed only in a linen robe was also captured but he slipped from the robe and escaped, running away naked. As this part of the story is reported only in Mark it is thought that the young man was Mark himself.
And so Jesus was left alone with his accusers and his executioners.