The Thieves
Drama
Lectionary Scenes
56 Vignettes For Cycle C
Theme
Jesus, by his death on a cross, changes lives, no matter how bad.
Summary
Two thieves, narrowly escaping getting caught, talk about their companion who was caught and crucified next to Jesus, asking Jesus for mercy. They plan their future life of crime, but someone arrives to change their plans forever.
Playing Time
5 minutes
Setting
Jerusalem
Props
None
Costumes
Peasant, time of Jesus
Time
After Jesus' death
Cast
LEDAN
ZETHAN
NERIAH
LEDAN: I'm leaving and nothing can stop me.
ZETHAN: Oh, the thing has a voice! What is it? I didn't know this thing could talk!
LEDAN: Leave me alone. I lost some good friends. Have some pity. Leave me alone. They're dead. Don't you feel anything?
ZETHAN: It was a stupid blunder. We should never have tried it -- right under the Romans' noses -- foolish. Someone was bound to get caught. Jediael and Bela were too slow. When you're too slow you get caught. We're just lucky we didn't get caught.
LEDAN: Well, we have two less men now. And it's only a matter of time before the Romans track us down and we'll be hanging on a Roman tree just like Jediael and Bela.
ZETHAN: When my time comes I'll sure take a few greasy Romans with me. And I'll die better than that idiot, Jediael, blubbering all over himself, whining and crying.
LEDAN: You didn't even see it.
ZETHAN: I didn't have to see it. Once a coward, always a coward. I heard about it, all right.
LEDAN: Shut up, will you? Don't you have any feelings?
ZETHAN: Forget your feelings.
LEDAN: I miss my friends. Jediael was sorry for what he had done, that's all. That's why he said that. He wanted to die with a clear heart. He was sorry about the wrong things he had done. I know how he felt.
ZETHAN: Sorry! Sorry! Sorry for what? For the Romans stealing our homes? For our own leaders selling out to them in the first place? We steal because that's the only thing left to do here in this "mighty city" of Jerusalem. My own father was a wealthy man and those filthy dogs robbed him of everything and then they killed him.
LEDAN: I don't want to hear that again. Things are changing. Something's happening. Things are different. You've heard about the veil of the Temple being torn top to bottom. Some graves have been opened; they're empty.
ZETHAN: Shut up! You'll hear what I want you to hear, that's all. I'm the leader now.
LEDAN: You?
ZETHAN: Of course, me. Certainly not you. There's only you and me.
LEDAN: I'm leaving. To the hills, maybe. Up north, maybe.
ZETHAN: There's nothing up north. Just another territory -- still Roman.
LEDAN: I'm just getting away. And I'm doing it soon, before the Roman soldiers get here.
ZETHAN: You're not going anywhere. There's still plenty of money right here to be had. Lots of merchants, lots of money bags.
LEDAN: Lots of Roman soldiers.
ZETHAN: You're a coward, too, aren't you? You'll blubber, too, won't you, when it comes your time to die, when they tie you to a tree. You'll whine and cry just like Jediael. "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." (LAUGHING) It was so ridiculously funny. There he was tied to a tree. He certainly wasn't going anywhere. Coughing out his last breath, dying on a dung pile and crying about his future. (LAUGHING) He didn't have much of a future. When they hang me on one of their trees, I'll call a Roman soldier over and then I'll spit on him. That's how I want to die.
LEDAN: Lots of talk.
ZETHAN: Yeah, lots of talk. Lots of talk. You got some objections to my talk? You're just a thing. You got any objections to my talk? Huh? I didn't think so. I didn't think so. Well, it looks like I am the leader here. I'll do the thinking. And there won't be any stupid plans like the last time. I'll get us in and out without getting us caught. Naw, you're not going anywhere. I need you. And you're too pitiful to think for yourself.
LEDAN: I just don't want to get caught, that's all.
ZETHAN: You just listen to me and do what I say. You'll be all right.
LEDAN: I'll be dead, that's what I'll be. We're both dead men, right now. It's just a matter of time before the soldiers find us. You know Jediael and Bela talked. You know they did. The soldiers will know who to look for. They'll come and get us. I'm getting out of here. (STARTING TO EXIT)
ZETHAN: Will you shut up! You just stay put.
(NERIAH ENTERS DRESSED IN SHROUD WITH WRAPPING OVER HIS HEAD)
ZETHAN: What? What is it?
NERIAH: You don't recognize me?
ZETHAN: No, I don't. And I don't like playing games, either. Who are you?
NERIAH: Look at me.
ZETHAN: Father!
NERIAH: My son. (NERIAH OPENS HIS ARMS FOR AN EMBRACE BUT ZETHAN BACKS AWAY) Yes, it's your father. (STILL NO RESPONSE FROM ZETHAN) What's happened to you? You've changed?
ZETHAN: Yes, I've changed. I'm a thief. Changed by the Romans. But, Father, how? You are dead. I buried you myself.
NERIAH: With God anything is possible.
ZETHAN: God? Is there a God?
NERIAH: Yes. A God who can raise the dead. The God of Moses and the God of the Messiah. You know I believe in God.
ZETHAN: Little good it did you. The Romans took everything we had and killed you. Where was God when that happened?
NERIAH: God was in control. He still is. Listen, what matters now is that the Messiah has come.
ZETHAN: I know there was a carpenter who made that claim. The Romans just hanged Him on a tree. Two of our men died with Him.
NERIAH: He's the one. He is the Messiah. He has done many miracles and good works.
ZETHAN: And for that they killed Him. Some miracle worker.
NERIAH: We have to trust Him. I trust Him. Look, I am alive. I was dead and I am alive. What power on earth can do that? He is certainly the Messiah. That's what I came to tell you. He has risen from the dead and He brought many of us who were dead back to life to spread the word. He is alive again. I am alive again.
ZETHAN: (EMBRACING NERIAH) Father, let me see you. Can I believe my eyes? Yes, yes, it is certainly you. My own father. Father, it is you. And alive! This truly is a miracle. I buried you myself and you are alive and standing before me. So, the Messiah did this. A miracle, that's what it is, a miracle. We must tell others. Nothing but the power of God could raise the dead.
NERIAH: God raised His son, Jesus. That is power we must tell others about.
ZETHAN: We must. We must tell all we can. Ledan, come, we must tell others. This is truly good news. What a band of followers we will make. Look at us. Could we convince anyone that we have good news? (LAUGHING)
NERIAH: We have a great message. We can try. (THEY EXIT ARM IN ARM)
Jesus, by his death on a cross, changes lives, no matter how bad.
Summary
Two thieves, narrowly escaping getting caught, talk about their companion who was caught and crucified next to Jesus, asking Jesus for mercy. They plan their future life of crime, but someone arrives to change their plans forever.
Playing Time
5 minutes
Setting
Jerusalem
Props
None
Costumes
Peasant, time of Jesus
Time
After Jesus' death
Cast
LEDAN
ZETHAN
NERIAH
LEDAN: I'm leaving and nothing can stop me.
ZETHAN: Oh, the thing has a voice! What is it? I didn't know this thing could talk!
LEDAN: Leave me alone. I lost some good friends. Have some pity. Leave me alone. They're dead. Don't you feel anything?
ZETHAN: It was a stupid blunder. We should never have tried it -- right under the Romans' noses -- foolish. Someone was bound to get caught. Jediael and Bela were too slow. When you're too slow you get caught. We're just lucky we didn't get caught.
LEDAN: Well, we have two less men now. And it's only a matter of time before the Romans track us down and we'll be hanging on a Roman tree just like Jediael and Bela.
ZETHAN: When my time comes I'll sure take a few greasy Romans with me. And I'll die better than that idiot, Jediael, blubbering all over himself, whining and crying.
LEDAN: You didn't even see it.
ZETHAN: I didn't have to see it. Once a coward, always a coward. I heard about it, all right.
LEDAN: Shut up, will you? Don't you have any feelings?
ZETHAN: Forget your feelings.
LEDAN: I miss my friends. Jediael was sorry for what he had done, that's all. That's why he said that. He wanted to die with a clear heart. He was sorry about the wrong things he had done. I know how he felt.
ZETHAN: Sorry! Sorry! Sorry for what? For the Romans stealing our homes? For our own leaders selling out to them in the first place? We steal because that's the only thing left to do here in this "mighty city" of Jerusalem. My own father was a wealthy man and those filthy dogs robbed him of everything and then they killed him.
LEDAN: I don't want to hear that again. Things are changing. Something's happening. Things are different. You've heard about the veil of the Temple being torn top to bottom. Some graves have been opened; they're empty.
ZETHAN: Shut up! You'll hear what I want you to hear, that's all. I'm the leader now.
LEDAN: You?
ZETHAN: Of course, me. Certainly not you. There's only you and me.
LEDAN: I'm leaving. To the hills, maybe. Up north, maybe.
ZETHAN: There's nothing up north. Just another territory -- still Roman.
LEDAN: I'm just getting away. And I'm doing it soon, before the Roman soldiers get here.
ZETHAN: You're not going anywhere. There's still plenty of money right here to be had. Lots of merchants, lots of money bags.
LEDAN: Lots of Roman soldiers.
ZETHAN: You're a coward, too, aren't you? You'll blubber, too, won't you, when it comes your time to die, when they tie you to a tree. You'll whine and cry just like Jediael. "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." (LAUGHING) It was so ridiculously funny. There he was tied to a tree. He certainly wasn't going anywhere. Coughing out his last breath, dying on a dung pile and crying about his future. (LAUGHING) He didn't have much of a future. When they hang me on one of their trees, I'll call a Roman soldier over and then I'll spit on him. That's how I want to die.
LEDAN: Lots of talk.
ZETHAN: Yeah, lots of talk. Lots of talk. You got some objections to my talk? You're just a thing. You got any objections to my talk? Huh? I didn't think so. I didn't think so. Well, it looks like I am the leader here. I'll do the thinking. And there won't be any stupid plans like the last time. I'll get us in and out without getting us caught. Naw, you're not going anywhere. I need you. And you're too pitiful to think for yourself.
LEDAN: I just don't want to get caught, that's all.
ZETHAN: You just listen to me and do what I say. You'll be all right.
LEDAN: I'll be dead, that's what I'll be. We're both dead men, right now. It's just a matter of time before the soldiers find us. You know Jediael and Bela talked. You know they did. The soldiers will know who to look for. They'll come and get us. I'm getting out of here. (STARTING TO EXIT)
ZETHAN: Will you shut up! You just stay put.
(NERIAH ENTERS DRESSED IN SHROUD WITH WRAPPING OVER HIS HEAD)
ZETHAN: What? What is it?
NERIAH: You don't recognize me?
ZETHAN: No, I don't. And I don't like playing games, either. Who are you?
NERIAH: Look at me.
ZETHAN: Father!
NERIAH: My son. (NERIAH OPENS HIS ARMS FOR AN EMBRACE BUT ZETHAN BACKS AWAY) Yes, it's your father. (STILL NO RESPONSE FROM ZETHAN) What's happened to you? You've changed?
ZETHAN: Yes, I've changed. I'm a thief. Changed by the Romans. But, Father, how? You are dead. I buried you myself.
NERIAH: With God anything is possible.
ZETHAN: God? Is there a God?
NERIAH: Yes. A God who can raise the dead. The God of Moses and the God of the Messiah. You know I believe in God.
ZETHAN: Little good it did you. The Romans took everything we had and killed you. Where was God when that happened?
NERIAH: God was in control. He still is. Listen, what matters now is that the Messiah has come.
ZETHAN: I know there was a carpenter who made that claim. The Romans just hanged Him on a tree. Two of our men died with Him.
NERIAH: He's the one. He is the Messiah. He has done many miracles and good works.
ZETHAN: And for that they killed Him. Some miracle worker.
NERIAH: We have to trust Him. I trust Him. Look, I am alive. I was dead and I am alive. What power on earth can do that? He is certainly the Messiah. That's what I came to tell you. He has risen from the dead and He brought many of us who were dead back to life to spread the word. He is alive again. I am alive again.
ZETHAN: (EMBRACING NERIAH) Father, let me see you. Can I believe my eyes? Yes, yes, it is certainly you. My own father. Father, it is you. And alive! This truly is a miracle. I buried you myself and you are alive and standing before me. So, the Messiah did this. A miracle, that's what it is, a miracle. We must tell others. Nothing but the power of God could raise the dead.
NERIAH: God raised His son, Jesus. That is power we must tell others about.
ZETHAN: We must. We must tell all we can. Ledan, come, we must tell others. This is truly good news. What a band of followers we will make. Look at us. Could we convince anyone that we have good news? (LAUGHING)
NERIAH: We have a great message. We can try. (THEY EXIT ARM IN ARM)
