PARABLE PLAYHOUSE, First Performance, Sunday Morning
9:30 AM Central Standard Time, Bethany Lutheran Church, Minot, North Dakota. So come on down! -- David
I CAN GIVE YOU ...
JESUS
JOHN
IGUANA
SATAN
ANGELS
JESUS and JOHN are center stage. JOHN stands to the right of JESUS with bowed head beneath stage as play begins.
JOHN raises JESUS' head so audience can see Him. JESUS waves His head around to shake the water from His eyes -- He's just been baptized!
JOHN (waves his hands to audience): You have been baptized through water into the kingdom of God, forgiven of your sins! Hallelujah!
AUDIENCE: Hallelujah!
JESUS (stepping away from JOHN and "out" of the Jordan represented by the stage): Lord, now what do I do?
JESUS walks off stage and IGUANA comes on stage.
Forty days later -- designate this at teacher's discretion -- IGUANA crawls from stage right and looks first at JESUS ambling in from stage left and approaches Him. JESUS walks slower than He often does and IGUANA looks up to Him.
JESUS puts His hand on IGUANA's head -- IGUANA draws away at first, but eases toward Him and lets Him do that. He sits down among the stones beside him.
JESUS: (to IGUANA and whoever listens, clutching his tummy) Animals don't fast, do they?
Pause.
JESUS: Animals don't feel the need to get closer to God, seek out His purpose for their lives, because they're only concerned about survival. (We hear the sound of JESUS' stomach growling.) SURE that's what I want too -- but I'm baptized, I'm the Son of God, now what?
SATAN comes in from stage right. He can be any puppet -- the point is, the Devil can look like anybody in your life (or not). He's pointing to the stones around JESUS.
SATAN: Now what, indeed! (SATAN opens his mouth wide.) We could go from some roast iguana ...
IGUANA draws closer to JESUS Who's sitting down stage left. SATAN laughs softly.
SATAN: (to IGUANA) I'm kidding. Not quite my taste. Well, Jesus (to JESUS; note SATAN never sits down) if You're the Son of God, then You can make all the food we want! Just say the word and make these stones (SATAN points around JESUS) bread. I know God can do that, I figure He'll let His Son do the same thing ... (SATAN trails off)
JESUS looks around Him for a moment.
JESUS: (to SATAN, with IGUANA hanging by Him) You figure that, but God my Father says, and it is written, that no one lives on bread alone.
SATAN opens his mouth wide. (He does this to express shock, which he is a lot -- but JESUS never is.) (says to JESUS) You've been reading up, haven't You?
JESUS looks at SATAN and says nothing.
SATAN: I think what we need here is a change of ... perspective.
(SATAN waves his hands and he, JESUS, and IGUANA are standing center stage and looking "down". Audience/ANGELS are walking about before them.)
JESUS: (with IGUANA clinging to Him for dear life, while He looks "down") We're on the roof of the Temple.
SATAN: (carefully sarcastic) Nothing gets by You, does it? Just imagine how it will look to all those people (SATAN points to audience) in the city if You, the Son of God, jump off this roof and -- Your Father says, AND it is written -- angels come to catch You. You know they will!
Pause.
JESUS: (turns on SATAN, calmly but firmly) I also know my Father says, and it is written, don't test Him!
SATAN: (sensing JESUS is getting angry with him, and sounding desperate): Test HIM? Why, I would never do that ... (IGUANA stands on end; JESUS' tummy grumbles again) but let's take a look at something YOU want, Jesus.
JESUS: (to SATAN, standing over him as he's crouched down) That I want.
SATAN steps off stage and the person playing him or the teacher can fly with Jesus around the room, singing this song to the tune of "A Whole New World" from Aladdin:
JESUS: (to IGUANA and whoever listens, clutching his tummy) Animals don't fast, do they?
Pause.
JESUS: Animals don't feel the need to get closer to God, seek out His purpose for their lives, because they're only concerned about survival. (We hear the sound of JESUS' stomach growling.) SURE that's what I want too -- but I'm baptized, I'm the Son of God, now what?
SATAN comes in from stage right. He can be any puppet -- the point is, the Devil can look like anybody in your life (or not). He's pointing to the stones around JESUS.
SATAN: Now what, indeed! (SATAN opens his mouth wide.) We could go from some roast iguana ...
IGUANA draws closer to JESUS Who's sitting down stage left. SATAN laughs softly.
SATAN: (to IGUANA) I'm kidding. Not quite my taste. Well, Jesus (to JESUS; note SATAN never sits down) if You're the Son of God, then You can make all the food we want! Just say the word and make these stones (SATAN points around JESUS) bread. I know God can do that, I figure He'll let His Son do the same thing ... (SATAN trails off)
JESUS looks around Him for a moment.
JESUS: (to SATAN, with IGUANA hanging by Him) You figure that, but God my Father says, and it is written, that no one lives on bread alone.
SATAN opens his mouth wide. (He does this to express shock, which he is a lot -- but JESUS never is.) (says to JESUS) You've been reading up, haven't You?
JESUS looks at SATAN and says nothing.
SATAN: I think what we need here is a change of ... perspective.
(SATAN waves his hands and he, JESUS, and IGUANA are standing center stage and looking "down". Audience/ANGELS are walking about before them.)
JESUS: (with IGUANA clinging to Him for dear life, while He looks "down") We're on the roof of the Temple.
SATAN: (carefully sarcastic) Nothing gets by You, does it? Just imagine how it will look to all those people (SATAN points to audience) in the city if You, the Son of God, jump off this roof and -- Your Father says, AND it is written -- angels come to catch You. You know they will!
Pause.
JESUS: (turns on SATAN, calmly but firmly) I also know my Father says, and it is written, don't test Him!
SATAN: (sensing JESUS is getting angry with him, and sounding desperate): Test HIM? Why, I would never do that ... (IGUANA stands on end; JESUS' tummy grumbles again) but let's take a look at something YOU want, Jesus.
JESUS: (to SATAN, standing over him as he's crouched down) That I want.
SATAN steps off stage and the person playing him or the teacher can fly with Jesus around the room, singing this song to the tune of "A Whole New World" from Aladdin:
I can show you the world
Shining, shimmering, splendid
Tell me, Jesus, now when did
You last let your heart decide?
I can open your eyes
Take You wonder by wonder
Over, sideways and under
On a magic carpet ride
A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell You no
Or where to go
Or say You're only dreaming
A whole new world
All these places I'll give You
See, when You're way up here
It's crystal clear
Just bow to me for this new world for you
No cross, just glory -- a whole new world for you.
SATAN and JESUS return to center stage, with IGUANA on JESUS' left -- no longer between them.
Pause.
JESUS: (to SATAN) No. Get behind me, Satan. I serve God. He says serve Him, and only Him!
SATAN's about to say something, he's got his mouth wide open, but he senses he's wasting his time.
SATAN: (in a Terminator voice, right by JESUS' face) I'll be back.
SATAN drops under stage.
JESUS: Yes you will.
Audience members serve as ANGELS and come up to JESUS, ending play.
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