The Day I Met Jesus

Theme:       The very personal monologue story of the blind beggar, focuses on the amazement that Jesus could care about a penniless discarded blind man for whom no one cared. . . . And how he cares for each one of us today, regardless of our situation. Written by Lee Booth of Theatre Calgary.

 

Bible Reference:      Luke 18:43

 

Cast:         1

 

Set, Sound:    standard

 

Costumes:    likely, though not necessarily, traditional

 

Props:        none

 

Time:        13 minutes

 

Sample of script:

 

actor comes onstage

“sees” the audience, reacts

 

Greetings friends. . . .

May I call you friends?

After all, if you know Jesus, you are a friend.

 

smiles, nods head, thinking, remembering

 

I want to share with you the first time I saw Jesus.

Although it happened many years ago, I still recall it as if it only happened yesterday . . .   because seeing Jesus for the first time was the absolute greatest day of my life.

 

pauses, thinks, shakes head

 

I will never ever forget it.

 

moves a few paces, smiles, remembering

 

I was sitting in my usual spot on the road side just outside Jericho.

For as long as I could remember that was my spot. Since I was a child, . . .  all I could do was sit there all day and beg for any kind of help. I had to rely on the mercy of others. You have to understand. I never wanted to be a beggar, but I could never support myself because I was born blind.

 

shakes head, negatively

 

On that day the sun seemed hotter than usual for that time of year. I could hear laughter all around me, but I could not laugh. I had been there most of the day, and no one stopped to give me drink, . . . or even just to say hello. Everyone knew who I was, and what my condition was, but they didn’t care. I could hear children playing in the distance. It sounded like they were having fun. I could hear,

“Tag! You’re it!”

And lots of laughing.

It reminded me of the one and only tried to play tag as a boy. That was a really dumb move! Now you can’t tag something you can’t see, so I came up with brilliant idea if they just made noise like “lalala” or something I could catch them. The first time I tried to run, I ran straight into a Sycamore tree! I laugh about this now, but you can only imagine how silly I felt. All the other kids were laughing their heads off at that, and I was hurt both physically and emotionally.

 

sad, looks downward

 

Now to be fair they did not know I was hurt and I was too proud to show them. They just thought it was funny. My Mother came running in to find out what had happened and when I told her all she said was,

“What were you thinking?”

“I don’t know” was all I could come up with, but after that I never tried to play with them again. I can’t blame them for that. After all, who wants to hang around with a blind person? I would have been more of a burden than a friend, so I backed away from trying to make friends.

 

shakes head, focusing

 

Oh I’m sorry, I got distracted.

This is something you will find out when you get older. I was telling you about the day I met Jesus.

 

remembering

 

Even though the market was in the distance, I could smell all the fruit and food that was being sold. I could practically taste all the cooking that was happening in the city, and hear all kinds of animals making noise from the market.

Friends, it can be torture to sense food all around you, when you have nothing to eat. My stomach longed for the day it would be full. To be able to say to anyone, “No thank you, I couldn’t eat another thing,” that was just a dream for me.

I also recall on that day, that everyone was doing their best to avoid me. Even though I was blind, I’m not stupid. I can tell when people deliberately walk on the other side of the road just to avoid me. But you know what was worst than being avoided, was they would talk about me behind my back saying;

 

“Why is he always sitting there. Can’t he go somewhere else, so we don’t have to look at him!”

 

But the absolute worst was the debate some would get into on who was the greater sinner in my family that caused my blindness? Me or my parents? They said this thinking I could not hear them. I have to tell you my hearing is very good, and I heard everything they said about me and it was very hurtful. My parents were good people that worked hard to provide for me while they were alive. I would cry out . . . .

 

“Please I know you are there. I can hear you. Can you not spare something? A piece of bread, and drink of water, a penny?”

 

I would have taken anything, but I did not exist to them that day. They were as blind to me as I was to them. They did not give me anything.

 

I am not sure how but suddenly I felt the strange sensation that something was going to happen. There was a feeling of excitement in the air.

Crowds of people were passing by me in a hurry. Some were running and others were shouting with excitement saying things like,

“Is that him or a disciple? . .  He’s coming! . . . He will soon be here!”

 

“What’s happening?” I shouted, but no one responded.

Finally I grabbed someone and asked again,

“Can you please tell me what is happening?”

The blind beggar, found Jesus cares for a penniless discarded blind man.
Someone about whom no one cared. . . . And how he cares for each one of us today, regardless of our situation.
Very well written by Lee Booth of Theatre Calgary.

Cast: 1 m (monolog)

Bible Reference: Luke 18:34-43

Set: standard

Sound: wireless mike if available

Song: none

Lighting: standard

SFX: none

Props: none

Costumes:

• likely, though not necessarily, traditional

Special Instructions: none

Time: 13

Sample of script:

actor comes onstage

“sees” the audience, reacts

Greetings friends. . . .

May I call you friends?

After all, if you know Jesus, you are a friend.

smiles, nods head, thinking, remembering

I want to share with you the first time I saw Jesus.

Although it happened many years ago, I still recall it as if it only happened yesterday . . .   because seeing Jesus for the first time was the absolute greatest day of my life.

pauses, thinks, shakes head

I will never ever forget it.

moves a few paces, smiles, remembering

I was sitting in my usual spot on the road side just outside Jericho.

For as long as I could remember that was my spot. Since I was a child, . . .  all I could do was sit there all day and beg for any kind of help. I had to rely on the mercy of others. You have to understand. I never wanted to be a beggar, but I could never support myself because I was born blind.

shakes head, negatively

On that day the sun seemed hotter than usual for that time of year. I could hear laughter all around me, but I could not laugh. I had been there most of the day, and no one stopped to give me drink, . . . or even just to say hello. Everyone knew who I was, and what my condition was, but they didn’t care. I could hear children playing in the distance. It sounded like they were having fun. I could hear,

“Tag! You’re it!”

And lots of laughing.

It reminded me of the one and only tried to play tag as a boy. That was a really dumb move! Now you can’t tag something you can’t see, so I came up with brilliant idea if they just made noise like “lalala” or something I could catch them. The first time I tried to run, I ran straight into a Sycamore tree! I laugh about this now, but you can only imagine how silly I felt. All the other kids were laughing their heads off at that, and I was hurt both physically and emotionally.

sad, looks downward

Now to be fair they did not know I was hurt and I was too proud to show them. They just thought it was funny. My Mother came running in to find out what had happened and when I told her all she said was,

“What were you thinking?”

“I don’t know” was all I could come up with, but after that I never tried to play with them again. I can’t blame them for that. After all, who wants to hang around with a blind person? I would have been more of a burden than a friend, so I backed away from trying to make friends.

shakes head, focusing

Oh I’m sorry, I got distracted.

This is something you will find out when you get older. I was telling you about the day I met Jesus.

remembering

Even though the market was in the distance, I could smell all the fruit and food that was being sold. I could practically taste all the cooking that was happening in the city, and hear all kinds of animals making noise from the market.

Friends, it can be torture to sense food all around you, when you have nothing to eat. My stomach longed for the day it would be full. To be able to say to anyone, “No thank you, I couldn’t eat another thing,” that was just a dream for me.

I also recall on that day, that everyone was doing their best to avoid me. Even though I was blind, I’m not stupid. I can tell when people deliberately walk on the other side of the road just to avoid me. But you know what was worst than being avoided, was they would talk about me behind my back saying;

“Why is he always sitting there. Can’t he go somewhere else, so we don’t have to look at him!”

But the absolute worst was the debate some would get into on who was the greater sinner in my family that caused my blindness? Me or my parents? They said this thinking I could not hear them. I have to tell you my hearing is very good, and I heard everything they said about me and it was very hurtful. My parents were good people that worked hard to provide for me while they were alive. I would cry out . . . .

“Please I know you are there. I can hear you. Can you not spare something? A piece of bread, and drink of water, a penny?”

I would have taken anything, but I did not exist to them that day. They were as blind to me as I was to them. They did not give me anything.

I am not sure how but suddenly I felt the strange sensation that something was going to happen. There was a feeling of excitement in the air.

Crowds of people were passing by me in a hurry. Some were running and others were shouting with excitement saying things like,

“Is that him or a disciple? . .  He’s coming! . . . He will soon be here!”

“What’s happening?” I shouted, but no one responded.

Finally I grabbed someone and asked again,

“Can you please tell me what is happening?”