A family member sent me an interesting e-mail over the weekend. It referred to John 20:7 and the burial wrappings of Christ. Here is the biblical passage:
“And the napkin that had been about his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but apart, wrapped up into one place.”
I have always felt that John specified that the “napkin” was separated from the rest of the linen to show that Christ Himself was the one who removed the burial wrappings, as opposed to robbers who would have never taken the time to fold the linens. Robbers would have fled as soon as they got their hands on the body. But in the e-mail I received there is a different explanation for the folded napkin. I am not an expert in ancient Judaic customs so I cannot verify the accuracy of the information below. Yet, I think it is interesting and does sound plausible:
In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished. Now if the master was done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, 'I'm done'. But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because..........
The folded napkin meant, 'I'm coming back!'
Just something to reflect on.
Donald Tremblay
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