The Unforgiving Servant
Drama
EXPANDED PARABLES
Dramatization in the Church
A parable of forgiveness for a Narrator, Jesus, and four solo voices who double as Peter, the Lord, Servant 1, and Servant 2.
Narrator: Many times we forget how terrific God is to us. We go around accepting what he gives us without giving anything in return to him, or if we remember him, we forget to give to people around us. Christ was speaking with his disciples one day when Peter asked him:
Solo 4 (Peter): Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?
Solo 1: Seven seems reasonable.
Solo 2: That's enough for anyone.
Solo 3: That's all we can expect.
Narrator: Jesus answered him;
Jesus: I tell you, not just seven times but seventy-seven times.
Solo 2: Seventy-seven times!
Solo 1: That's an awful lot.
Solo 3: Why so much?
Narrator: And Jesus told this parable to explain it.
Jesus: The Kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, a man was brought to him who owed 10,000 talents ($10,000,000) and he could not poy the debt, so his Lord ordered him:
Solo 3 (Lord): You and your wife and your children and all that you own will be sold and from this, payment will be made to me.
Solo 4: He's losing everything.
Solo 2: Losing all.
Solo 4: I'm glad it's him and not me.
Solo 2: But all that money.
Solo 4: No hope of repaying that.
Solo 2: That's unbelievable.
Narrator: But the servant fell on his knees imploring him:
Solo 1 (Servant 1): Please, have patience with me and I will eventually pay you everything I owe.
Solo 2: You'll never do it.
Solo 4: Not that much.
Solo 2: Better give up - it's hopeless.
Solo 3 (Lord): I have pity for you, my servant; I am going to release you and forgive you the debt.
Solo 1: All of it?
Solo 2: All of it?
Solo 4: 10,000 talents ($10,000,000) ...
Solo 2: Wiped out ... just like that! [Snaps fingers]
Solo 3 (Lord): All ... forgiven!
Narrator: But that same servant, as he went down the road, relieved of his burden, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him 100 denarii ($2,000); he seized him by the throat and ordered:
Solo 1 (Servant 1): Pay the 100 denarii ($2,000) you owe to me.
Narrator: His fellow servant fell down and begged him:
Solo 2 (Servant 2): Please have patience with me, and I will eventually pay you everything I owe.
Solo 1 (Servant 1): No, if you can't pay the money, I will put you in prison till you can. That money is mine and you will repay me.
Solo 3: That scoundrel!
Solo 4: What's 10,000 talents ($10,000,000) compared to 100 denarii ($2,000)?
Solo 3: Of all the nerve.
Solo 4: He forgot, maybe?
Solo 3: How could he?
Solo 4: What a schnook!
Narrator: When the other servants saw all that had happened, they were greatly distressed and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place.
Solo 4: He deserves to be punished!
Solo 3: Now he'll get it.
Solo 4: I knew he would!
Solo 1: Forgiven so much.
Solo 2: But not willing to forgive.
Solo 3: Hard to believe.
Narrator: Then the Lord called the servant to him and said:
Solo 3 (Lord): You wicked servant! I forgave you all of the large debt you owed because you begged and pleaded with me, but yet now you wouldn't have mercy on your fellow servant, for a smaller debt, as I did on you? For this I will have you put in jail, as I was going to do, and keep you there till you can pay all of the debt.
Solo 2: He'll be there his whole life!
Solo 4: He didn't learn.
Solo 2: No mercy.
Solo 3: Forgiveness is caring.
Solo 4: Forgiveness is mercy.
Solo 2: Forgiveness is constant.
Narrator: And having finished the parable, Christ said to Peter:
Jesus: So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.
Narrator: Many times we forget how terrific God is to us. We go around accepting what he gives us without giving anything in return to him, or if we remember him, we forget to give to people around us. Christ was speaking with his disciples one day when Peter asked him:
Solo 4 (Peter): Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?
Solo 1: Seven seems reasonable.
Solo 2: That's enough for anyone.
Solo 3: That's all we can expect.
Narrator: Jesus answered him;
Jesus: I tell you, not just seven times but seventy-seven times.
Solo 2: Seventy-seven times!
Solo 1: That's an awful lot.
Solo 3: Why so much?
Narrator: And Jesus told this parable to explain it.
Jesus: The Kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, a man was brought to him who owed 10,000 talents ($10,000,000) and he could not poy the debt, so his Lord ordered him:
Solo 3 (Lord): You and your wife and your children and all that you own will be sold and from this, payment will be made to me.
Solo 4: He's losing everything.
Solo 2: Losing all.
Solo 4: I'm glad it's him and not me.
Solo 2: But all that money.
Solo 4: No hope of repaying that.
Solo 2: That's unbelievable.
Narrator: But the servant fell on his knees imploring him:
Solo 1 (Servant 1): Please, have patience with me and I will eventually pay you everything I owe.
Solo 2: You'll never do it.
Solo 4: Not that much.
Solo 2: Better give up - it's hopeless.
Solo 3 (Lord): I have pity for you, my servant; I am going to release you and forgive you the debt.
Solo 1: All of it?
Solo 2: All of it?
Solo 4: 10,000 talents ($10,000,000) ...
Solo 2: Wiped out ... just like that! [Snaps fingers]
Solo 3 (Lord): All ... forgiven!
Narrator: But that same servant, as he went down the road, relieved of his burden, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him 100 denarii ($2,000); he seized him by the throat and ordered:
Solo 1 (Servant 1): Pay the 100 denarii ($2,000) you owe to me.
Narrator: His fellow servant fell down and begged him:
Solo 2 (Servant 2): Please have patience with me, and I will eventually pay you everything I owe.
Solo 1 (Servant 1): No, if you can't pay the money, I will put you in prison till you can. That money is mine and you will repay me.
Solo 3: That scoundrel!
Solo 4: What's 10,000 talents ($10,000,000) compared to 100 denarii ($2,000)?
Solo 3: Of all the nerve.
Solo 4: He forgot, maybe?
Solo 3: How could he?
Solo 4: What a schnook!
Narrator: When the other servants saw all that had happened, they were greatly distressed and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place.
Solo 4: He deserves to be punished!
Solo 3: Now he'll get it.
Solo 4: I knew he would!
Solo 1: Forgiven so much.
Solo 2: But not willing to forgive.
Solo 3: Hard to believe.
Narrator: Then the Lord called the servant to him and said:
Solo 3 (Lord): You wicked servant! I forgave you all of the large debt you owed because you begged and pleaded with me, but yet now you wouldn't have mercy on your fellow servant, for a smaller debt, as I did on you? For this I will have you put in jail, as I was going to do, and keep you there till you can pay all of the debt.
Solo 2: He'll be there his whole life!
Solo 4: He didn't learn.
Solo 2: No mercy.
Solo 3: Forgiveness is caring.
Solo 4: Forgiveness is mercy.
Solo 2: Forgiveness is constant.
Narrator: And having finished the parable, Christ said to Peter:
Jesus: So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.
