By Thunder
Drama
Lectionary Scenes
58 Vignettes For Cycle B
Theme
What is it that makes people follow Jesus?
Summary
Zebedee wonders why his sons are following Jesus.
Playing Time
3 1/2 minutes
Setting
The home of Zebedee
Props
None
Costumes
Peasants of Jesus' time
Time
The time of Jesus
Cast
ZEBEDEE -- a businessman who owns a fishing business
MIRIAMNE -- his wife
ZEBEDEE: (ENTERS) Miriamne, It's me.
MIRIAMNE: (ENTERS, DRYING HER HANDS ON A TOWEL) You're a little late.
ZEBEDEE: Late! It's a wonder I made it home at all.
MIRIAMNE: Why? What happened?
ZEBEDEE: Aw, it's those boys. I don't know what I'm going to do, that's all.
MIRIAMNE: Slow down. Relax. Tell me all about it.
ZEBEDEE: Relax, she says. I can't relax. Aw, those boys.
MIRIAMNE: What? What did they do?
ZEBEDEE: Do? They're gone.
MIRIAMNE: What do you mean "gone"?
ZEBEDEE: Gone. They're gone.
MIRIAMNE: They're gone? Well, they'll be back.
ZEBEDEE: They won't be back. They're gone. Gone!
MIRIAMNE: What are you talking about?
ZEBEDEE: (EXASPERATED) I don't know -- you try to bring them up right and then you find out they're fanatics.
MIRIAMNE: They do take after you.
ZEBEDEE: Me? I'm no fanatic.
MIRIAMNE: To other people you probably seem like a fanatic.
ZEBEDEE: Me? Me? What are you talking about?
MIRIAMNE: Well, you do go to the synagogue every day.
ZEBEDEE: As all good people of the covenant should.
MIRIAMNE: But how many do?
ZEBEDEE: (ENTHUSIASTICALLY) Not enough. That's for sure. Not as many as should. Where else can we read God's precious word? Nowhere else. "Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee." You can't know the word of God unless you go to the synagogue to hear it.
MIRIAMNE: You see what I mean? Others would probably think you are a fanatic.
ZEBEDEE: Because I love the word of God? Everyone should be such a fanatic.
MIRIAMNE: Maybe. But you can't expect your sons to be any different.
ZEBEDEE: Sure, they love the word of God, but this is different.
MIRIAMNE: For goodness' sake, Zeb, what did James and John do?
ZEBEDEE: I already told you. They left. They're gone.
MIRIAMNE: Where? Where did they go?
ZEBEDEE: Well, here's what happened -- we were just spreading out our nets, after a very good night, I might add ...
MIRIAMNE: Oh, good. Good. You caught a lot of fish.
ZEBEDEE: Yes, yes, a good catch. We were just getting the nets spread out and along comes Jesus.
MIRIAMNE: Jesus?
ZEBEDEE: Yes, you know. The one we've heard so much about. From Nazareth.
MIRIAMNE: Oh, sure. The boys have been talking about him.
ZEBEDEE: Well, Jesus comes along and says something to them and they both just dropped their nets and followed him.
MIRIAMNE: You're joking.
ZEBEDEE: Joking! I wish I were joking. No. They just dropped their nets and followed him.
MIRIAMNE: My goodness.
ZEBEDEE: I saw what happened and jumped out of the boat and ran after them telling them to get back to work.
MIRIAMNE: And did they finish their work?
ZEBEDEE: No. They didn't. That's why I'm late. They just left me there with the boat and the hired servants. Can you believe it?
MIRIAMNE: Barely. You had to lay out the nets yourself?
ZEBEDEE: I sure did. Can you believe it? Just walked away. Left their old father to do the work.
MIRIAMNE: Where will they live? What will they eat?
ZEBEDEE: How will we eat, is a better question. The ungrateful young ...
MIRIAMNE: Neither one of them had a cloak with him. How will they keep warm when the evening chill comes?
ZEBEDEE: Let them freeze. Imagine, it took me two extra hours to get those nets laid out. Two extra hours!
MIRIAMNE: What was it Jesus said to them?
ZEBEDEE: He said, "Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men."
MIRIAMNE: Fishers of men? What does that mean?
ZEBEDEE: I don't know. It doesn't make sense to me.
MIRIAMNE: Fishers of men.
ZEBEDEE: I spent my whole life teaching them to be fishers of fish.
MIRIAMNE: Fishers of men. Fishers of men.
ZEBEDEE: Will you stop saying that.
MIRIAMNE: Fishers of men.
ZEBEDEE: Yes, fishers of men. Why would anyone fish for men?
MIRIAMNE: Fishers of men. Maybe Jesus wants them to ask people to follow him, as he asked them to do. Like fishing for fish, but for men.
ZEBEDEE: What in the world am I going to do tomorrow? Where am I going to get two men who work as well as James and John? They just walked off. All Jesus has to do is ask people to follow him and they do. What a crazy world. If everyone left his work and followed Jesus, who would work? What would happen to the world? Who does he think he is?
MIRIAMNE: The Messiah?
ZEBEDEE: Yeah, who does he think he is, the Messiah?
MIRIAMNE and ZEBEDEE: The Messiah!
MIRIAMNE: What if he is the Messiah?
ZEBEDEE: What do you mean, "What if he is the Messiah?" You should see him. He's just a carpenter. Just a carpenter, not the Messiah.
MIRIAMNE: What should the Messiah look like?
ZEBEDEE: I don't know, but not like this guy.
MIRIAMNE: Fishers of men.
ZEBEDEE: Stop saying "fishers of men." The Messiah wouldn't say "fishers of men." Men wouldn't just get up and leave their father to do all the work. The Messiah wouldn't ask people to leave their work.
MIRIAMNE: Fishers of men. Fishers of men.
ZEBEDEE: Will you please stop saying that.
MIRIAMNE: Fishers of men.
ZEBEDEE: Stop it! All right, fishers of men. Hmm. What if he is the Messiah? I guess the Messiah could do anything he wanted to do. If he wants to teach my boys to be fishers of men he couldn't have picked better men to do it. I trained them, didn't I? He knew the best when he saw them.
MIRIAMNE: What will you do tomorrow -- about the fishing?
ZEBEDEE: The fishing? Aw, don't worry so much. The fishing will take care of itself. The fish will always be there, won't they? The Lord sees to that. What's important is that my sons have been chosen to learn from the Messiah. My sons!
MIRIAMNE: Yes, but what if he is not the Messiah?
ZEBEDEE: What do you mean? Of course he's the Messiah. Who else could make men leave their life's work and follow him?
MIRIAMNE: What are you saying?
ZEBEDEE: Fishing for fish? I can train anyone to do that job. But fishing for men -- only the Messiah could train men for that job. Fishers of men. If I was younger I could do that job. I could fish for some men. I'd show them. I'd bring in a big catch of men. Boy, if I was younger.
What is it that makes people follow Jesus?
Summary
Zebedee wonders why his sons are following Jesus.
Playing Time
3 1/2 minutes
Setting
The home of Zebedee
Props
None
Costumes
Peasants of Jesus' time
Time
The time of Jesus
Cast
ZEBEDEE -- a businessman who owns a fishing business
MIRIAMNE -- his wife
ZEBEDEE: (ENTERS) Miriamne, It's me.
MIRIAMNE: (ENTERS, DRYING HER HANDS ON A TOWEL) You're a little late.
ZEBEDEE: Late! It's a wonder I made it home at all.
MIRIAMNE: Why? What happened?
ZEBEDEE: Aw, it's those boys. I don't know what I'm going to do, that's all.
MIRIAMNE: Slow down. Relax. Tell me all about it.
ZEBEDEE: Relax, she says. I can't relax. Aw, those boys.
MIRIAMNE: What? What did they do?
ZEBEDEE: Do? They're gone.
MIRIAMNE: What do you mean "gone"?
ZEBEDEE: Gone. They're gone.
MIRIAMNE: They're gone? Well, they'll be back.
ZEBEDEE: They won't be back. They're gone. Gone!
MIRIAMNE: What are you talking about?
ZEBEDEE: (EXASPERATED) I don't know -- you try to bring them up right and then you find out they're fanatics.
MIRIAMNE: They do take after you.
ZEBEDEE: Me? I'm no fanatic.
MIRIAMNE: To other people you probably seem like a fanatic.
ZEBEDEE: Me? Me? What are you talking about?
MIRIAMNE: Well, you do go to the synagogue every day.
ZEBEDEE: As all good people of the covenant should.
MIRIAMNE: But how many do?
ZEBEDEE: (ENTHUSIASTICALLY) Not enough. That's for sure. Not as many as should. Where else can we read God's precious word? Nowhere else. "Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee." You can't know the word of God unless you go to the synagogue to hear it.
MIRIAMNE: You see what I mean? Others would probably think you are a fanatic.
ZEBEDEE: Because I love the word of God? Everyone should be such a fanatic.
MIRIAMNE: Maybe. But you can't expect your sons to be any different.
ZEBEDEE: Sure, they love the word of God, but this is different.
MIRIAMNE: For goodness' sake, Zeb, what did James and John do?
ZEBEDEE: I already told you. They left. They're gone.
MIRIAMNE: Where? Where did they go?
ZEBEDEE: Well, here's what happened -- we were just spreading out our nets, after a very good night, I might add ...
MIRIAMNE: Oh, good. Good. You caught a lot of fish.
ZEBEDEE: Yes, yes, a good catch. We were just getting the nets spread out and along comes Jesus.
MIRIAMNE: Jesus?
ZEBEDEE: Yes, you know. The one we've heard so much about. From Nazareth.
MIRIAMNE: Oh, sure. The boys have been talking about him.
ZEBEDEE: Well, Jesus comes along and says something to them and they both just dropped their nets and followed him.
MIRIAMNE: You're joking.
ZEBEDEE: Joking! I wish I were joking. No. They just dropped their nets and followed him.
MIRIAMNE: My goodness.
ZEBEDEE: I saw what happened and jumped out of the boat and ran after them telling them to get back to work.
MIRIAMNE: And did they finish their work?
ZEBEDEE: No. They didn't. That's why I'm late. They just left me there with the boat and the hired servants. Can you believe it?
MIRIAMNE: Barely. You had to lay out the nets yourself?
ZEBEDEE: I sure did. Can you believe it? Just walked away. Left their old father to do the work.
MIRIAMNE: Where will they live? What will they eat?
ZEBEDEE: How will we eat, is a better question. The ungrateful young ...
MIRIAMNE: Neither one of them had a cloak with him. How will they keep warm when the evening chill comes?
ZEBEDEE: Let them freeze. Imagine, it took me two extra hours to get those nets laid out. Two extra hours!
MIRIAMNE: What was it Jesus said to them?
ZEBEDEE: He said, "Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men."
MIRIAMNE: Fishers of men? What does that mean?
ZEBEDEE: I don't know. It doesn't make sense to me.
MIRIAMNE: Fishers of men.
ZEBEDEE: I spent my whole life teaching them to be fishers of fish.
MIRIAMNE: Fishers of men. Fishers of men.
ZEBEDEE: Will you stop saying that.
MIRIAMNE: Fishers of men.
ZEBEDEE: Yes, fishers of men. Why would anyone fish for men?
MIRIAMNE: Fishers of men. Maybe Jesus wants them to ask people to follow him, as he asked them to do. Like fishing for fish, but for men.
ZEBEDEE: What in the world am I going to do tomorrow? Where am I going to get two men who work as well as James and John? They just walked off. All Jesus has to do is ask people to follow him and they do. What a crazy world. If everyone left his work and followed Jesus, who would work? What would happen to the world? Who does he think he is?
MIRIAMNE: The Messiah?
ZEBEDEE: Yeah, who does he think he is, the Messiah?
MIRIAMNE and ZEBEDEE: The Messiah!
MIRIAMNE: What if he is the Messiah?
ZEBEDEE: What do you mean, "What if he is the Messiah?" You should see him. He's just a carpenter. Just a carpenter, not the Messiah.
MIRIAMNE: What should the Messiah look like?
ZEBEDEE: I don't know, but not like this guy.
MIRIAMNE: Fishers of men.
ZEBEDEE: Stop saying "fishers of men." The Messiah wouldn't say "fishers of men." Men wouldn't just get up and leave their father to do all the work. The Messiah wouldn't ask people to leave their work.
MIRIAMNE: Fishers of men. Fishers of men.
ZEBEDEE: Will you please stop saying that.
MIRIAMNE: Fishers of men.
ZEBEDEE: Stop it! All right, fishers of men. Hmm. What if he is the Messiah? I guess the Messiah could do anything he wanted to do. If he wants to teach my boys to be fishers of men he couldn't have picked better men to do it. I trained them, didn't I? He knew the best when he saw them.
MIRIAMNE: What will you do tomorrow -- about the fishing?
ZEBEDEE: The fishing? Aw, don't worry so much. The fishing will take care of itself. The fish will always be there, won't they? The Lord sees to that. What's important is that my sons have been chosen to learn from the Messiah. My sons!
MIRIAMNE: Yes, but what if he is not the Messiah?
ZEBEDEE: What do you mean? Of course he's the Messiah. Who else could make men leave their life's work and follow him?
MIRIAMNE: What are you saying?
ZEBEDEE: Fishing for fish? I can train anyone to do that job. But fishing for men -- only the Messiah could train men for that job. Fishers of men. If I was younger I could do that job. I could fish for some men. I'd show them. I'd bring in a big catch of men. Boy, if I was younger.
