Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-01-16
"HAH Who FLED Naked"
REV. CHENAULT's THEME
Tells Of Small Incidents in
Mems Lives Which Have
Great Influence on Them.
MARK STRIPPED or GARMENT


MARK STRIPPED or G,uun>r
Many Seek Pleasure md Find II. but
They Lose Everything Tint Can
Mnk" Life Happy. Hrond street
Methodist CONGREGATION Hears.
fcsterday morning In BROAD street
Methodist Church. Rev. Fred r.. Chen
auit spoke on tho subject. The Man
Who Fled Naked He chose az his
text Mark xiv. 81. 80: And there fol-
lowed Him certain young man hav-
Ing "A linen cloth east abou, his naked
body. and the young men laid hold on
him: and he left the linen cloth and
fled from them naked MIR. Chcnault
spoke. in part. AS follows:
1t III generally conceded that tho
young men referred TO in the text
was no other than Mark himself. tho.
Inserting OF AN incident in the course
-! an important narratiy. that seems
80 uncsscntiai must have been du.
I" the fact tina; 1t had an important
bearing upon the life and character
Of the narrator
Jesus was being led through the
streets OF Jerusalem from Tn. gar
hcn 10 the High Priests office ana Tho
passing OF the procession doubtless
caused considerable upronr The
torches OF the soldiers flashed into
many "a darkcn"d room and awakened
many sleeper; among others who
awakened VAS perhaps this young
man Mark. and he got up hastily and
casting about for something to pu,
around him he lay hold OF the first
article on which n. placed his hands.
namely. this linen cloth. this very
i!ne linen garment.
lie thus rushed into the stree, and
found that the prisoner was being
!"ad away to judgment. and with a
second look. no doubt, he recognized
MIN 10 he no other than Jesus of
Nazareth. He pushed ON, Keeping as
n"ar Him as possible. at last finally
something hapDen"d he perhaps re-
sentcd tho manner In which Jesus
Was being treated. and then il was
hat ne felt the grin OF tho soldiers
hand upon him and saw the fash Of
sword.
Turning Points In Life.
The first lesson that wish to
bring to YOU is this--that things are
ii sometimes little Importance to
others are %: great Importance TO us.
this story was not OF great impor-
lance to others. hut /, was very i'm
p"rtant TO Mark. FOR IL doubtless
meant 81 lesson that always made him
ashamed Of himself ana strengthened
MIN against nItur< pcri!s.
N sermon may mean much TO ono.
but nothing To another. "A certain
look may stir tn. depths q. ones
SOU! and another remain uuuovcd by
y. 4 song has been known TO lift
ono out Of tho depths. another may
listen without emotion. Luther
passes up the steps at Rome and be-
comes a changed man; others had
passed that way before. but no
change had been pcrccptiblc. when
John Wesley was In Aldcrsratc
street that memorable night. when
the preface o: Pauls Epis,lc to the
Romans was being read. no doubt
here We're many unaffected by these
words. but Wcsley's heart was
strangely warmed
How much was Egypt concerned
when Pharoah's daughter discovered
a little bark among the FURNISHES Of
IN" Nile. hut for tho world II was
new era. When tho parsonac. was
burned at Epworth. England and
the mother and father and all the
children were safely on the outside.
Two peasants made II ladder Of their
bodies, standing one on tho other and
It little hoy. named John Wesley. was
saved from the burning building. 1t
was an incident that Interested
scarcely any one outside Of tho fam
~ circle. hu, what IL has mean, to
the world can he best answered per
haps by ioOoO.on0 Methodis,s
Young Man Fled Naked.
Again. when the hands of the
young men were laid uron him. he
loosed himself and loft his linen
cloth in their hands and 'ncd naked
We was naked in more respects than
one. He was naked OF honor and
rcac" because he had lost sclf-rc-
spcct. Whenever n man shirks tho
cross. whatever that cross is. though
he seems not outwardly To suffer IT
cannot but strir him OF tho most prc.
ricus thing that he possesses. II
leaves his soul naked. Somewhere
christina Ros"tti says: Tho cross is
crucifcrious. though IL seems heavy
at first, It really carries all our other
crosses. Iiappy is tho man who
like Slmon. tho Cvrenian, who was
comnellcd 10 hear IT.
MANY seek pleasure. and find H.
hut strip themselves OF all that can
POSSIBLY make life happy. Arc tho
people that follow tho bright lights
happy DO YOU think that tho people
that spend nights in revelry arc hap
nv: do you think that men and WON
on who live for social functions are
happy? If So. look at their faces.
see their baroness. note lack of
nurpcsc and tho mower Of personal
itv. listen to tho hollow sound Of
their voice. 30 with them to the Sc
crct chambers of their better selves
and listen to their signs Of impatient
dissa tisfaction. Let us beware. lest
when We have gained tho world, we
strip our souls"