Sermonstudio

Theme

Persecution will come. How will we fare? With faith?

Summary

Two Christians, tortured for their faith, are talking about how they are going to withstand further torture and be true to their God.

Playing Time
5 minutes
Setting
A prison cell
Props
A crude stool, a wooden cup
Costumes
Old rags, bloodied rag over Aurant's eyes
Time
The future
Cast
ARAUNT -- a man, terribly tortured, blackened holes where his eyes once were

NEBUTH -- a young woman


NEBUTH: (ENTERS SUPPORTING AURANT. THEY ARE BOTH IN FILTHY RAGS) Come on now. You can make it.

AURANT: (STUMBLING) No, no, I can't go another step.

NEBUTH: Yes, yes, come on now. Just lean on me. Lean your full weight on me.

AURANT: I want to die.

NEBUTH: Don't think about that just yet. Not yet. Just sit down and rest. I'll get you some water and then I'll take care of your wounds. (HELPS AURANT SIT ON A CRUDE STOOL AND GETS A WOODEN CUP OF WATER FOR HIM)

AURANT: But you're hurt, too. (DRINKS THIRSTILY)

NEBUTH: (TEARING A PIECE OFF HER SHIRT, SHE USES IT TO DAB COOL WATER ON THE WOUNDS OF AURANT) I'll take care of my wounds, too. Your wounds are real.

AURANT: They'll be back.

NEBUTH: Yes, they'll be back. But don't think of that now.

AURANT: I can't help it. That's all I think of. They'll be back.

NEBUTH: Yes, I know. That's something over which we have no control.

AURANT: We have no control over anything anymore.

NEBUTH: Oh, yes, we do have control.

AURANT: You saw me. I was not strong. I broke. I broke. I'm so weak. I broke. I tried to resist them. But I yelled and screamed and begged them to stop. I cried like a baby for them to stop. I'm so ashamed of myself. You saw it all. I knew you were there, but I couldn't see you, of course.

NEBUTH: Oh, you were very strong, my friend. You were very strong. I was very proud of you. You were truly a man. Yes, they had chained me just opposite you, and I was screaming, too.

AURANT: Did they hurt you?

NEBUTH: Not physically, no. My torture was to watch your torture.

AURANT: I'm so ashamed.

NEBUTH: You were very brave.

AURANT: I was not. I would have told them anything they asked. I would have told them anything, but they never asked, did they?

NEBUTH: They were not torturing you to get information.

AURANT: Why, then? Why do they hurt us?

NEBUTH: I don't know for certain. Maybe it is because we are Christians.

AURANT: But, why? We can't harm their government.

NEBUTH: I've been thinking about it. I think they hurt us because we have an allegiance to someone other than their government. And even with their violence they can't change that. That scares them. If they cannot control someone, it scares them.

AURANT: They don't act scared.

NEBUTH: Of course not. They hide their fears behind their acts of violence. They lash out and try to obliterate everything they fear.

AURANT: Us.

NEBUTH: Yes, and others like us.

AURANT: You said we have control?

NEBUTH: Yes, of course we do. As long as we are true to Jesus.

AURANT: But I am so weak. I was ready to give up my faith.

NEBUTH: But you didn't.

AURANT: No, but if they hadn't stopped when they did, I would have. I know I would have.

NEBUTH: No, you wouldn't.

AURANT: You're so certain. I am not so certain about myself.

NEBUTH: I am certain because I have seen you teaching the other believers.

AURANT: And I used to teach about faith. I know nothing about faith. I only know about my pain. I only care about what happens to me now. I cannot think about God or faith or any of those abstractions I used to teach about. I used to teach about God's joy. Can you believe it? And peace -- the peace that no one can understand. I remember teaching that in all kinds of distress the believer would have peace. It's so unbelievable now. They shouldn't allow people to teach unless they can verify that they have had enough experience to know what they're talking about.

NEBUTH: What are you saying? It's all true. Everything you taught about is true. You know it is.

AURANT: How do you know? You're too young.

NEBUTH: I know this. I see before me a true man of God. I would trust my life with you.

AURANT: Maybe you would have years ago when I was strong and was teaching the Word of God. I was sure of myself then. I knew what I was saying and was sure it was God's Word. Now I have doubts. So many doubts.

NEBUTH: No, you're not listening to me. I trust you now.

AURANT: You can't. I can't even trust myself. I am all used up. I no longer want to live. I am near death now.

NEBUTH: You don't know that.

AURANT: Yes, I do know that. I do know something. I know I am near death. And I am better off dead now. I will go to be with Jesus and then I will be through this pain.

NEBUTH: But Jesus must want you to be here.

AURANT: You don't know that.

NEBUTH: Yes, I do know that. I do know something.

AURANT: You mock me with my own words.

NEBUTH: I don't mock you. I couldn't. But you must know that your teaching days are not over. You have more teaching to do.

AURANT: And who would I teach?

NEBUTH: Me.

AURANT: You?

NEBUTH: At least me. There might be more. But me, at least.

AURANT: I'm at the end of my life. And you are young. What -- what could I teach you?

NEBUTH: Let's begin with what you already have taught me. You have taught me strength, courage, and peace -- yes, peace. You have taught me peace. You have taught me how to be God's person in any situation.

AURANT: But I am so weak.

NEBUTH: Oh, and I forgot. You have taught me weakness.

AURANT: Weakness? That's not something to teach. It comes so easy to humans.

NEBUTH: I don't think so. Not so easy as you think. It is right and the correct thing to be -- to be weak.

AURANT: Then I am doing the right thing.

NEBUTH: Yes, yes, you certainly are. You are a most correct and noble person.

AURANT: Noble? You flatter me.

NEBUTH: No. There's no time for it. I do not flatter you. I tell you what I truly see in you, what you have taught me.

AURANT: Then tell me this -- why is weakness an important thing to teach?

NEBUTH: Because the kind of weakness ...

AURANT: And my failure ...

NEBUTH: Yes, and your failure, too ... is of God.

AURANT: I don't think ...

NEBUTH: Let me finish. God is all-powerful, isn't He? And we are human, and therefore not powerful. Well, then, it is in our nature to be weak. It is only the person who trusts God who can be truly weak.

AURANT: I don't know.

NEBUTH: You still trust God, you just said you did when you said you looked forward to being with Jesus forever.

AURANT: Yes, I trust God.

NEBUTH: And you do not trust in yourself, do you?

AURANT: How can I?

NEBUTH: Then you see your own weakness.

AURANT: Of course I do. But it's not something I want to teach.

NEBUTH: Nevertheless, you have taught it and it is a good and godly teaching.

AURANT: You are the one who has taught me.

NEBUTH: I was merely bringing your attention to your own teaching.

AURANT: Yes, yes, you were. And you were doing another thing, too. You have made me forget my pain. Yes, yes, I will teach the others. Gather the others and tell them I will teach them God's word.

NEBUTH: Yes, I will tell the others. I will take you to them.

AURANT: And tell them I will begin with a teaching on God's strength and our weakness.

NEBUTH: Yes, I will tell them. (THEY EXIT)