Details, details, details.
I often wonder why New Testament writers include seemingly insignificant details. Take the Easter story for instance.
With a ‘who moved the stone’ type mystery you’d think there was enough evidence to grab the attention of any amateur sleuth - but not John. He gives a whole verse to the case of the folded napkin.’
Having heard the rumours, Peter rushed to the tomb to check out the truth of the missing body. Of all the things he observed that morning, John takes time to record the fact that the facecloth or napkin was ‘not lying with the linen cloths but separate…neatly folded by itself’. [1] One has to ask the question why? Why was this particular item of burial attire singled out for special treatment!
I’m no expert in Jewish social history, but I recently read an article that seeks to explain this strange phenomena. It suggests that in ancient culture a servant, having laid the table for his master, would step aside to allow his lord to enter the room and enjoy his meal. Standing at a respectful distance, the servant would watch and wait for the signal that his master had finished eating. Much in the same way as a crumpled napkin on an empty plate signals to the waiter that we have finished our meal - a discarded napkin in Bible times says to the servant that once his master had left the table, he has no intention of returning.
However, a ‘neatly folded napkin’ was a different matter. Having used the said item to wipe his hands, face and beard, by placing a neatly folded napkin on the table the master was signalling to those who wait on him, that although he might leave the room, he had not finished and had every intention of coming back to the table.
The suggestion being, that when the risen Christ left a ‘neatly folded napkin’ in the empty tomb he was signalling to his servants, that although in time his physical presence would no longer be seen, he has every intention of returning.
Whether this interpretation on social history is true or not, it makes those servants of Christ who eagerly watch and wait for his return to rejoice in the penultimate verse of all Scripture, that says, ‘Amen-so let it be! Yes, come, Lord Jesus’. [2]
[1] John chapter 20, verse 7 MSG
[2] Revelation chapter 22, verse 20 AMP
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