Talk Show II
Drama
Lectionary Scenes
57 Vignettes For Cycle A
Theme
Everyone has to obey the voice of Jesus sooner or later, so you might as well do it while you can rejoice about it.
Summary
This is a TV talk show featuring Mary, Martha and Lazarus and a lively discussion about Lazarus' death and Jesus bringing him back to life.
Playing Time: 3 minutes
Place: A TV studio
Props: None
Costumes: Contemporary, appropriate for a talk show
Time: Today
Cast: PHIL DENNEHY -- talk show host
LAZARUS -- the person Jesus raised from the dead
MARY -- his sister
MARTHA -- his other sister
PHIL: (WALKING AROUND USING A HAND-HELD MICROPHONE TALKING TO FOUR PANELISTS SEATED IN CHAIRS) You've met these ladies before. Meet Mary and her sister Martha and you'll remember their brother Lazarus. Now this family has a unique story to relate. You see, Lazarus has been raised from the dead by Jesus.
LAZARUS: That's right. I was dead. I was really dead.
MARY: He's the baby of the family. We are so happy that Jesus is our Messiah and our friend. Jesus came and raised Lazarus from the dead.
MARTHA: I was a little miffed at Jesus.
MARY: Martha, this isn't the place for that. We should be joyful that our brother has been restored to us.
MARTHA: I couldn't be more joyful. I just express it differently, that's all.
MARY: I guess you do.
LAZARUS: Please, Mary, don't start on that again.
MARTHA: Miffed. Maybe I was more than a little miffed. Let's face it, I was angry with Jesus. Hadn't we seen Jesus heal the blind people? Hadn't He healed others from leprosy? Jesus could have certainly healed Lazarus if He had been there when he got sick.
MARY: Actually, He had raised people from the dead before Lazarus.
LAZARUS: That's right. We heard the stories.
PHIL: Now, wait a minute. Are you telling me that Jesus had raised others from the dead before Lazarus?
LAZARUS: Exactly. On two occasions.
MARTHA: We only heard about it, though. It is a bit different when you experience death yourself.
LAZARUS: I'll say.
PHIL: So, if you knew about Jesus raising others from the dead, why couldn't you have the faith that Jesus would raise Lazarus from the dead?
MARTHA: You have to understand, we had faith but not that much faith. We trusted Jesus and knew that we would see Lazarus again in the last day, but I for one just didn't have faith that Jesus would raise him right then.
PHIL: And how about you, Mary, how did you feel?
MARY: Well, to tell you the truth, I didn't have the faith either. I was pretty caught up in my grief. If you've never gone through the death of someone near to you, you don't know what I mean. I was really grieving and nothing could break through that. Not even the comforting words of my friends.
PHIL: And what did Jesus do?
MARTHA: Well, we could see that He was moved.
MARY: Moved is too gentle a word. He was, well, it looked like He was angry.
PHIL: Angry? Jesus was angry?
MARTHA: It looked that way to me.
PHIL: Why should He be angry?
At you for lack of faith?
MARTHA: No, no, I don't think so.
MARY: We talked about this a lot. I think it was because He was encountering death. I think He was angry at the hold it has on us. It is so powerful and we often think about it a lot. Death was, at that time, the stronghold of Satan.
PHIL: I see. So, Jesus was probably angry at death and Satan.
LAZARUS: I agree. If you're going to be angry that's a good target.
MARTHA: The rest was just God, the Father, working through Jesus. Jesus simply called to Lazarus.
PHIL: And he came out of the grave.
LAZARUS: It was just that simple. I obeyed.
MARY: And we rejoiced.
LAZARUS: Everyone had to obey the voice of Jesus sooner or later.
MARY: So you might as well do it while you can rejoice about it.
PHIL: All right, that's our show for this week, but wait, we haven't heard from Pastor Ames, yet. (USE YOUR PASTOR'S NAME) Pastor, what do you think?
Everyone has to obey the voice of Jesus sooner or later, so you might as well do it while you can rejoice about it.
Summary
This is a TV talk show featuring Mary, Martha and Lazarus and a lively discussion about Lazarus' death and Jesus bringing him back to life.
Playing Time: 3 minutes
Place: A TV studio
Props: None
Costumes: Contemporary, appropriate for a talk show
Time: Today
Cast: PHIL DENNEHY -- talk show host
LAZARUS -- the person Jesus raised from the dead
MARY -- his sister
MARTHA -- his other sister
PHIL: (WALKING AROUND USING A HAND-HELD MICROPHONE TALKING TO FOUR PANELISTS SEATED IN CHAIRS) You've met these ladies before. Meet Mary and her sister Martha and you'll remember their brother Lazarus. Now this family has a unique story to relate. You see, Lazarus has been raised from the dead by Jesus.
LAZARUS: That's right. I was dead. I was really dead.
MARY: He's the baby of the family. We are so happy that Jesus is our Messiah and our friend. Jesus came and raised Lazarus from the dead.
MARTHA: I was a little miffed at Jesus.
MARY: Martha, this isn't the place for that. We should be joyful that our brother has been restored to us.
MARTHA: I couldn't be more joyful. I just express it differently, that's all.
MARY: I guess you do.
LAZARUS: Please, Mary, don't start on that again.
MARTHA: Miffed. Maybe I was more than a little miffed. Let's face it, I was angry with Jesus. Hadn't we seen Jesus heal the blind people? Hadn't He healed others from leprosy? Jesus could have certainly healed Lazarus if He had been there when he got sick.
MARY: Actually, He had raised people from the dead before Lazarus.
LAZARUS: That's right. We heard the stories.
PHIL: Now, wait a minute. Are you telling me that Jesus had raised others from the dead before Lazarus?
LAZARUS: Exactly. On two occasions.
MARTHA: We only heard about it, though. It is a bit different when you experience death yourself.
LAZARUS: I'll say.
PHIL: So, if you knew about Jesus raising others from the dead, why couldn't you have the faith that Jesus would raise Lazarus from the dead?
MARTHA: You have to understand, we had faith but not that much faith. We trusted Jesus and knew that we would see Lazarus again in the last day, but I for one just didn't have faith that Jesus would raise him right then.
PHIL: And how about you, Mary, how did you feel?
MARY: Well, to tell you the truth, I didn't have the faith either. I was pretty caught up in my grief. If you've never gone through the death of someone near to you, you don't know what I mean. I was really grieving and nothing could break through that. Not even the comforting words of my friends.
PHIL: And what did Jesus do?
MARTHA: Well, we could see that He was moved.
MARY: Moved is too gentle a word. He was, well, it looked like He was angry.
PHIL: Angry? Jesus was angry?
MARTHA: It looked that way to me.
PHIL: Why should He be angry?
At you for lack of faith?
MARTHA: No, no, I don't think so.
MARY: We talked about this a lot. I think it was because He was encountering death. I think He was angry at the hold it has on us. It is so powerful and we often think about it a lot. Death was, at that time, the stronghold of Satan.
PHIL: I see. So, Jesus was probably angry at death and Satan.
LAZARUS: I agree. If you're going to be angry that's a good target.
MARTHA: The rest was just God, the Father, working through Jesus. Jesus simply called to Lazarus.
PHIL: And he came out of the grave.
LAZARUS: It was just that simple. I obeyed.
MARY: And we rejoiced.
LAZARUS: Everyone had to obey the voice of Jesus sooner or later.
MARY: So you might as well do it while you can rejoice about it.
PHIL: All right, that's our show for this week, but wait, we haven't heard from Pastor Ames, yet. (USE YOUR PASTOR'S NAME) Pastor, what do you think?
