Jesus' Visit
Drama
Lectionary Scenes
58 Vignettes For Cycle B
Theme
How do we help a brother or sister who is having trouble with their belief? It's difficult but the people who knew Jesus had the same problem. We can learn from them.
Summary
Carl is having trouble believing in Jesus and Christianity. He relates to Thomas, the disciple, and witnesses Thomas' encounter with the risen Christ.
Playing Time
3 1/2 minutes
Setting
Modern day -- anywhere
Props
None
Costumes
Period costume for Jesus, Peter, and Thomas Modern for Carl and Nance
Cast
CARL -- a Christian who has some doubts
NANCE -- his friend
JESUS
THOMAS -- a disciple
PETER -- his friend
CARL: (ENTERS ALONG WITH NANCE) I just can't.
NANCE: Well, of course not.
CARL: But I want to live like a Christian.
NANCE: I know you do.
CARL: I just can't.
NANCE: It's difficult but not impossible.
CARL: I want to be strong. I fail so miserably.
NANCE: Sometimes. Not all the time.
CARL: I know, but I want to be more like Jesus.
NANCE: Well, that's what the Holy Spirit is doing in your life.
CARL: But, I have doubts.
NANCE: I do too, sometimes.
CARL: I know I'm a Christian, but, you know what? What if the whole thing is just fiction?
NANCE: Christianity, you mean?
CARL: Yes, what if it was all made up by the apostles and early Christians?
NANCE: That would be a lot of material to make up.
CARL: I know, but let's say it was possible.
NANCE: Okay. Let's say it was possible to write the entire Bible as a work of fiction. What about those disciples? They saw Jesus after he was dead and came back to life. That wasn't fiction.
CARL: I know they saw him. But what about Thomas?
NANCE: He had some doubts. Just like you.
CARL: That's me, I guess. I'm just like Thomas. We have to live this Christian life without seeing Jesus. All on faith. That's tough to do. I could believe as strongly as the disciples if I could touch Jesus.
NANCE: You really mean that. What about faith?
CARL: Faith? I need some right now.
(THE SCENE SWITCHES TO PETER AND THOMAS AS NANCE AND CARL WATCH)
PETER: We have seen the Lord! He was here with us.
THOMAS: Unless I see in his hands the marks made by the nails, and put my fingers into them and place my hand into his side, where the spear was thrust, I will never believe that he is alive.
JESUS: (ENTERS) Thomas, reach out your finger here and touch my hands and place your hand in my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!
THOMAS: (FALLING DOWN AND WORSHIPING) My Lord and my God!
JESUS: You believe me because you have seen me. Blessed and happy and to be envied are those people who haven't seen me and have trusted me anyway.
NANCE: You're just like Thomas. That's you.
CARL: No, that's not me.
NANCE: What do you mean? You just saw it. You said you were just like Thomas.
CARL: I just saw it but I still don't believe it.
NANCE: What kind of proof do you want?
CARL: I don't know.
JESUS: How about this. Why don't you come and put your finger here and touch my hands and place your hand in my side. You don't have to be faithless any more. You can choose to believe! (CARL CROSSES TO JESUS AND TRIES BUT CAN'T PUT HIS FINGER ON JESUS' HANDS) What's wrong? I thought that's what you wanted to do.
CARL: I did. But now I can't do it.
JESUS: Why not?
CARL: I don't need to. (WORSHIPING) My Lord and my God!
JESUS: How's your faith now?
CARL: Not as shaky as it was.
JESUS: Good. Keep working at it.
CARL: I will.
How do we help a brother or sister who is having trouble with their belief? It's difficult but the people who knew Jesus had the same problem. We can learn from them.
Summary
Carl is having trouble believing in Jesus and Christianity. He relates to Thomas, the disciple, and witnesses Thomas' encounter with the risen Christ.
Playing Time
3 1/2 minutes
Setting
Modern day -- anywhere
Props
None
Costumes
Period costume for Jesus, Peter, and Thomas Modern for Carl and Nance
Cast
CARL -- a Christian who has some doubts
NANCE -- his friend
JESUS
THOMAS -- a disciple
PETER -- his friend
CARL: (ENTERS ALONG WITH NANCE) I just can't.
NANCE: Well, of course not.
CARL: But I want to live like a Christian.
NANCE: I know you do.
CARL: I just can't.
NANCE: It's difficult but not impossible.
CARL: I want to be strong. I fail so miserably.
NANCE: Sometimes. Not all the time.
CARL: I know, but I want to be more like Jesus.
NANCE: Well, that's what the Holy Spirit is doing in your life.
CARL: But, I have doubts.
NANCE: I do too, sometimes.
CARL: I know I'm a Christian, but, you know what? What if the whole thing is just fiction?
NANCE: Christianity, you mean?
CARL: Yes, what if it was all made up by the apostles and early Christians?
NANCE: That would be a lot of material to make up.
CARL: I know, but let's say it was possible.
NANCE: Okay. Let's say it was possible to write the entire Bible as a work of fiction. What about those disciples? They saw Jesus after he was dead and came back to life. That wasn't fiction.
CARL: I know they saw him. But what about Thomas?
NANCE: He had some doubts. Just like you.
CARL: That's me, I guess. I'm just like Thomas. We have to live this Christian life without seeing Jesus. All on faith. That's tough to do. I could believe as strongly as the disciples if I could touch Jesus.
NANCE: You really mean that. What about faith?
CARL: Faith? I need some right now.
(THE SCENE SWITCHES TO PETER AND THOMAS AS NANCE AND CARL WATCH)
PETER: We have seen the Lord! He was here with us.
THOMAS: Unless I see in his hands the marks made by the nails, and put my fingers into them and place my hand into his side, where the spear was thrust, I will never believe that he is alive.
JESUS: (ENTERS) Thomas, reach out your finger here and touch my hands and place your hand in my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!
THOMAS: (FALLING DOWN AND WORSHIPING) My Lord and my God!
JESUS: You believe me because you have seen me. Blessed and happy and to be envied are those people who haven't seen me and have trusted me anyway.
NANCE: You're just like Thomas. That's you.
CARL: No, that's not me.
NANCE: What do you mean? You just saw it. You said you were just like Thomas.
CARL: I just saw it but I still don't believe it.
NANCE: What kind of proof do you want?
CARL: I don't know.
JESUS: How about this. Why don't you come and put your finger here and touch my hands and place your hand in my side. You don't have to be faithless any more. You can choose to believe! (CARL CROSSES TO JESUS AND TRIES BUT CAN'T PUT HIS FINGER ON JESUS' HANDS) What's wrong? I thought that's what you wanted to do.
CARL: I did. But now I can't do it.
JESUS: Why not?
CARL: I don't need to. (WORSHIPING) My Lord and my God!
JESUS: How's your faith now?
CARL: Not as shaky as it was.
JESUS: Good. Keep working at it.
CARL: I will.
