Acts 25:23 And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus’ commandment Paul was brought forth.

We do like a good show don’t we? If we cannot be the center of attention then we do our best to get really good seats. Celebrity gets courtside seating. It is built into us by nature and if we cannot have the best grapes, then they must be sour grapes.

Towering monuments to man’s achievements can be found all over the world. They are found in every culture regardless of faith or history. They are found even on desert islands thousands of miles from any other human contact. Rituals have been handed down thru generations and over time the original intentions have changed and forgotten. All that is left is the pomp and ceremony.

The wilderness tabernacle was designed by God to show the image and glory of the coming Christ. Everything from the materials to the colors and how it was laid out pointed to a man and in the heart of that man, the Holy of Holies, the mercy seat of God. Then a manmade temple has designed to honor God according to man’s desire, not God’s design.

Then God came down in the form of a man to show us how it is really done. He put on the show of shows, He showed us His Glory as He designed it. He humbled Himself and served all. He put the least before Himself. There was no pomp and little ceremony. One ceremony was baptism, the repentance of sin. The other was the communion of saints.

Not enough pomp and ceremony for some, so they put on a show of it. “This is the way it is done.” For some it has lost its humility. For some service isn’t even a part of the celebration. His Glory wasn’t spectacular enough for some.

Glory is the essence of who God is, not who we would like Him to be. A humble servant, humble unto death, to do the will of His Father.

John 21:19 This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.

Mark 14:51-52 And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.

Sherlock Holmes is investigating the kidnapping of a righteous man. He asks of a witness, “Tell me everything, leave no detail out. The tiniest thing which might seem unimportant to you may be the clue I need.”

Here in the middle of the witness of the taking of Jesus in the garden and before He is taken to the high priest is this telling of events that night. Who is this naked man clothed in linen? Why is he following those who are taking Jesus away? Why is he so afraid that he would rather flee naked than be taken? Who were the young men who grabbed him?

I am no Sherlock Holmes. I have absolutely no idea what the answer is to any of those questions. Why was it written into the bible? Because it happened and no detail noted was left out of the telling. But what good is it then if I cannot relate to it? Who said it was meant for me?

Here is an opportunity to touch someone who can identify with this man clothed only in linen. That someone knows the answer to these questions because he is caught in the middle of something that he fears and only he knows why.

What words have you found in scripture that scream at you, “He’s talking about me!” It might be something no one else knows about but you. Those words fall on deaf ears all around you but exposes you just as this young man was exposed.

Psalm 44:21 Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.