Scattered Thoughts

Was reading Mark: 14

A few things popped into my mind

Jesus sat at food with Simon the Leper. Uhm, he probably wasn't a leper anymore if he had a feast. OR was he a leper but with a leprosy approved for mingling with people? Had Jesus healed him? IF Jesus had healed him why did the writer of the gospel continue to call him a leper?

Then there is the man with the waterpot. HE wasn't one of the disciples, probably. IF he was, he wasn't in the general group that hung around with Jesus. Uhm, how did Jesus get the message to this man with the waterpot? Oh, we don't even need to ask. We've had these moments where we are led to do things and to go places by the spirit.

But it got me to thinking about the almost persuaded such as Agrippa. Acts 26:28 "Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." Acts 26:27-29

And the one who was casting out devils but wasn't one of Jesus' company.
Mark 9:38 "And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us." Mark 9:37-39

God's holy spirit is always working. He said he would pour out his spirit upon all flesh. He didn't say only on those who believed. So he is working and leading and persuading and calling.

Acts 18:25 "This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John." Acts 18:24-26
Uhm, this is interesting. I mean, most of the church nowadays know only the baptism of John. They believe in the holy spirit and some of them speak great sermons and are fervent in spirit but the only baptism they tell people to have is the baptism of repentance. Uhm, will talk about this tomorrow.

Thinking of the linen cloth:

Then there is the place in Mark where the young man with the linen cloth followed Jesus and the soldiers tried to capture him and he fled naked, leaving the linen cloth in their hand. Mark 14:51-52 Interesting little situation. Some say it's Mark himself. But why was he only wearing the linen cloth? Even if the cloth got stripped from him, where was his loincloth? Don't they wear loincloth underneath? I remember that one time when Peter went fishing and he was naked when he fished.

I always think of this linen cloth? Or the other linen cloth. John 20: 6 When Jesus was resurrected and the linen cloth was left in the tomb and the disciples saw it and believed. I totally believed this is the Vera Icon (the true icon) also called Veronica's Cloth which is often talked about in history and which can be nothing else but the Shroud of Turin. Even before the Middle ages, this story was circulating and many of the icons showed pictures of this cloth. Probably the shroud was folded with the image of the face on top. Or maybe there was an image on the handkerchief that wrapped his face also.