Stand Up For Jesus
Drama
Lectionary Scenes
58 Vignettes For Cycle B
Theme
Who will speak out for Jesus when it becomes necessary?
Summary
The worship service is interrupted by several people and we're thrust into a drama before we are aware of it. People are complaining about Jesus and how he disrupted things by cleansing the Temple. A Levite and a priest speak out against Jesus and finally someone asks if there isn't someone who will come to Jesus' defense.
Playing Time
3 minutes
Setting
Your church
Props
None
Costumes
Whatever is appropriate for your church
Time
The present
Cast
SMITTY
WILL -- a Levite
HENRY -- a priest
SALLY
SMITTY: (ENTERS AND CROSSES TO PODIUM) I have an announcement that I failed to make at announcement time.
WILL: (STANDS IN THE CONGREGATION) May I interrupt?
SMITTY: I just have an announcement. It's about a car in the parking lot.
WILL: Please. This is important.
SMITTY: All right. Go ahead.
WILL: I'm shocked about what you people are doing. Shocked. You are actually singing about Jesus.
SMITTY: Just a minute, sir.
WILL: A mistake, that's what it is, a mistake. Do you know him? Do you?
SMITTY: Excuse me, sir, you are creating a disturbance. We must ask you to sit down.
WILL: (CROSSING TO THE PODIUM) Do you know who you're singing about? I doubt it.
SMITTY: Sir, if you'll just sit.
WILL: Jesus. That's who you're singing about, isn't it?
SMITTY: I was just trying to make an announcement.
WILL: I can't believe it. You don't even know who it is you're singing about. Let me tell you something. He's not as great as you say. Not at all. He's a bigoted Nazarene -- that's what he is.
I'm a Levite, and I know for a fact that this Jesus of Nazareth is a phony. He claims to be the Messiah. He could get killed for that. Let me tell you what he did to me. I lost my job on account of this guy Jesus. He caused me to lose all the money I had tied up in livestock.
I sell animals in the Temple. I mean, I used to sell animals in the Temple. He threw us all out of the courtyard. Every one of us. Most of the others rounded up their cattle and sheep but I sold doves. Well, I couldn't catch birds again, could I?
Believe me, I was angry. Well, that's my story. And you are actually singing songs about him. All I can say is, any man who would cause a lot of people to lose their jobs is not a man to sing about.
HENRY: (RISING AND CROSSING TO PODIUM) I can vouch for the authenticity of this man's report, about Jesus of Nazareth.
WILL: Thank you very much.
HENRY: I wanted to bring up another point about him. I too, have been involved with this Jesus, which, I dare say none of you people who sang about him have.
He argued with me many times. I am a priest in the Temple. The very Temple that he said would be destroyed. And not only that, but he also predicted he would restore it again in three days.
Three days, eh? Some of the things he says are strange and would be funny if the problem weren't so serious. The problem is people actually believe him. Crowds follow him everywhere. The people believe he is a prophet. They worship him.
This is the ultimate slap in the face for those of us who are priests. We are the ones who must protect the purity of worship. We just can't let any crowd-pleaser mouth a few words of so-called wisdom and quote a few scriptures and then expect people to worship him. And you are the only people who can stop it. We priests can't do it alone. We can't do it all. You people have to help.
You people have to wake up and take a stand against this man Jesus. You've heard what this man has told you about losing his life savings. And you heard my plea for purity of worship. We both ask you to take care in what you are doing and watch who you're singing about.
SALLY: (RISING AND CROSSING TO PODIUM) May I say something? I'm a little confused, as I'm sure many of my friends are. I just feel we should defend our Lord, somehow. Now, I'm not a Bible scholar and I can't quote the scriptures ... I don't know. I just feel someone should say something.
SMITTY: I agree. You people, won't you say something? Can't someone defend Jesus? Isn't there anyone here who will stand up for Jesus? (THE HOPE IS THAT SOMEONE FROM THE AUDIENCE WILL SAY SOMETHING IN FAVOR OF JESUS, BUT IF NOT THE ACTORS EXIT.)
Who will speak out for Jesus when it becomes necessary?
Summary
The worship service is interrupted by several people and we're thrust into a drama before we are aware of it. People are complaining about Jesus and how he disrupted things by cleansing the Temple. A Levite and a priest speak out against Jesus and finally someone asks if there isn't someone who will come to Jesus' defense.
Playing Time
3 minutes
Setting
Your church
Props
None
Costumes
Whatever is appropriate for your church
Time
The present
Cast
SMITTY
WILL -- a Levite
HENRY -- a priest
SALLY
SMITTY: (ENTERS AND CROSSES TO PODIUM) I have an announcement that I failed to make at announcement time.
WILL: (STANDS IN THE CONGREGATION) May I interrupt?
SMITTY: I just have an announcement. It's about a car in the parking lot.
WILL: Please. This is important.
SMITTY: All right. Go ahead.
WILL: I'm shocked about what you people are doing. Shocked. You are actually singing about Jesus.
SMITTY: Just a minute, sir.
WILL: A mistake, that's what it is, a mistake. Do you know him? Do you?
SMITTY: Excuse me, sir, you are creating a disturbance. We must ask you to sit down.
WILL: (CROSSING TO THE PODIUM) Do you know who you're singing about? I doubt it.
SMITTY: Sir, if you'll just sit.
WILL: Jesus. That's who you're singing about, isn't it?
SMITTY: I was just trying to make an announcement.
WILL: I can't believe it. You don't even know who it is you're singing about. Let me tell you something. He's not as great as you say. Not at all. He's a bigoted Nazarene -- that's what he is.
I'm a Levite, and I know for a fact that this Jesus of Nazareth is a phony. He claims to be the Messiah. He could get killed for that. Let me tell you what he did to me. I lost my job on account of this guy Jesus. He caused me to lose all the money I had tied up in livestock.
I sell animals in the Temple. I mean, I used to sell animals in the Temple. He threw us all out of the courtyard. Every one of us. Most of the others rounded up their cattle and sheep but I sold doves. Well, I couldn't catch birds again, could I?
Believe me, I was angry. Well, that's my story. And you are actually singing songs about him. All I can say is, any man who would cause a lot of people to lose their jobs is not a man to sing about.
HENRY: (RISING AND CROSSING TO PODIUM) I can vouch for the authenticity of this man's report, about Jesus of Nazareth.
WILL: Thank you very much.
HENRY: I wanted to bring up another point about him. I too, have been involved with this Jesus, which, I dare say none of you people who sang about him have.
He argued with me many times. I am a priest in the Temple. The very Temple that he said would be destroyed. And not only that, but he also predicted he would restore it again in three days.
Three days, eh? Some of the things he says are strange and would be funny if the problem weren't so serious. The problem is people actually believe him. Crowds follow him everywhere. The people believe he is a prophet. They worship him.
This is the ultimate slap in the face for those of us who are priests. We are the ones who must protect the purity of worship. We just can't let any crowd-pleaser mouth a few words of so-called wisdom and quote a few scriptures and then expect people to worship him. And you are the only people who can stop it. We priests can't do it alone. We can't do it all. You people have to help.
You people have to wake up and take a stand against this man Jesus. You've heard what this man has told you about losing his life savings. And you heard my plea for purity of worship. We both ask you to take care in what you are doing and watch who you're singing about.
SALLY: (RISING AND CROSSING TO PODIUM) May I say something? I'm a little confused, as I'm sure many of my friends are. I just feel we should defend our Lord, somehow. Now, I'm not a Bible scholar and I can't quote the scriptures ... I don't know. I just feel someone should say something.
SMITTY: I agree. You people, won't you say something? Can't someone defend Jesus? Isn't there anyone here who will stand up for Jesus? (THE HOPE IS THAT SOMEONE FROM THE AUDIENCE WILL SAY SOMETHING IN FAVOR OF JESUS, BUT IF NOT THE ACTORS EXIT.)
