The Waiting Place
Drama
Women Of Calvary
A Play For Lent
Characters
Mary, sister of Martha
Martha
Lazarus
Setting
Home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus
(Mary and Martha are preparing the evening meal.)
Mary: My, time goes so fast. Has it been only a week since our Lord was here for supper? It doesn't seem possible.
Martha: It is always such a pleasure when he comes with his friends. I enjoy having them here and preparing the foods I know he likes. I want him to think of our home as his home, too. He is traveling around so much I am sure he doesn't get many decent meals.
Mary: He seems to enjoy yours, Martha, but then you are an excellent cook. I only wish I was half as good as you are. Somehow, I can't seem to really get interested in cooking. Especially when the Master is here.
Martha: I have noticed that, but you manage to do all right. I was surprised, though, when you took that expensive ointment you were saving and used it to anoint his feet when he was here. I thought you were saving that for some special occasion, like, perhaps, your wedding.
Mary: In a way I was. But when I saw him there, I wanted to do something special -- something extra -- to show how much I loved him and wanted to serve him. I know I can't cook like you do, but I wanted to serve him, too.
Martha: I am sure he appreciated it, and, of course, it was a nice thing to do. He must have been tired after all that walking, and it made the whole place so fragrant. But there was one person who didn't enjoy it.
Mary: You mean Judas?
Martha: He was burning up. He was so angry, he told the Master that it was a crime to waste such expensive ointment. He said that it should have been sold and the money should have been given to the poor.
Mary: Do you remember the Master's answer? He rebuked Judas and told him to leave me alone. Then he said something strange -- that I should keep it for the day of his burial; that we always have the poor, but we will not always have him. How could that be, especially since I was already using it?
Martha: Sometimes it is hard to understand what the Master means, but I am glad he told that Judas off. I don't always trust Judas.
Mary: Our Lord must trust him, because he lets him keep the money for them.
Martha: Anyhow, it was a very nice visit. I am glad that Lazarus was here and sitting with him at the table, but I wish the Master could have stayed with us for the Passover.
Mary: Don't you remember? He said we must go to Jerusalem, that the prophecies might be fulfilled. He even talked about going away.
Martha: I am not sure I remember that. I know there was a big crowd outside. There always seems to be people following him.
Mary: That is because they have heard of the good deeds that he has done.
Martha: This time I think they wanted to see Lazarus. They had heard about him and how the Master raised him from the dead. Even now, it is hard for me to believe that Lazarus actually died and is yet alive. There are so many wicked men who hate the Master. Even the priests are jealous of the people who follow him.
Mary: How can they be so blind? Can't they understand that he preaches love and understanding of the Father?
Martha: We can never thank him enough for what he has done for us. Not only has he given us a new understanding of the Father, but he has brought back Lazarus.
Mary: I shall never forget that day. All those people crowding around, waiting to see what would happen.
Martha: Some of them were just curious. And it was dangerous for the Master to be here. He could have been stoned. The Pharisees were just waiting for the opportunity to run and tell what he had done. His disciples knew this, but they came with him.
Mary: He wept when he saw the tomb.
Martha: That is because he loves Lazarus. Now Lazarus is alive and with us.
Mary: Lazarus has changed. He seems to want to be alone and he often goes to the hills.
Martha: Yes, he is different. He is much quieter, and have you noticed? He is much more peaceful. Before, he was always getting into arguments with people, trying to tell them they were wrong, especially about the Master.
Mary: It is late, the evening meal is almost ready. It is not like Lazarus to stay away so long. Perhaps he feels responsible for the hatred and danger from the priests. I wish the Master had stayed with us.
Martha: There is no guarantee that he would have been any safer here. We must pray and wait. But where is Lazarus? The meal is getting cold.
Lazarus: (enters, breathless and shaken) It has happened. It has finally happened. The high priests have at last succeeded.
Mary and Martha: (together) What has happened? Tell us.
Lazarus: They have taken him.
Martha: Who? And how?
Lazarus: It was right after the Passover meal. The temple guards and the Roman soldiers took the Master captive and led him to the high priest.
Mary: How do you know all this?
Lazarus: Cleopas has just returned from Jerusalem. He says there has been a riot; that the people have turned against our Master.
Martha: I can't believe that. Tell us everything from the beginning. How did they take him? Wasn't he with his friends? Didn't they do anything?
Lazarus: How could a few men stand out against the temple guards? Anyhow, according to Cleopas, they had all gone to the garden after the meal, and the Master was with them. He had gone up the hill a little way and was praying.
Mary: What were the others doing?
Lazarus: They fell asleep. After all, it had been a long day. Anyhow, they were awakened by the Master and the coming of the guards. And guess who was among them -- one of his supposed friends!
Mary: Who? Surely none of them would have been with the guards. After all, they were his chosen companions. They were faithful.
Lazarus: It was Judas! He was with the guards, and he came up to the Master, kissed him, and hailed him. That is how the guards knew whom to arrest.
Martha: How awful. I cannot believe that Judas would do that, but somehow he was different from the others. He certainly objected to the oil Mary used on our Master's feet.
Mary: Please, please tell us what happened. Where did they take him?
Lazarus: They took him before the high priest, although I understand they went to his father-in-law first. The Master was alone. All the others had fled, although Peter and John followed along and went to the high priest's home. There he was tried in the early morning. I cannot believe this -- there were none who witnessed for him. Where were his friends? Why wasn't I there to testify to what he had done for me? No, he was alone.
(Mary quietly sobs)
Lazarus: The priests then sent him to Pilate, who said he couldn't find anything to condemn him for, but the priests insisted; they said he had made himself king. Pilate gave the order for his crucifixion. After he had been flogged, they gave him his cross to carry, and they made him carry it through the streets so all could see him.
Mary and Martha: (both sobbing) Oh, my Lord, my Lord, how could they have done this to you?
Lazarus: When they nailed him to the cross -- there were two others who were crucified at the same time -- the sky became very dark, and there was an earthquake. He died after the third hour.
Mary: Was he alone at the crucifixion? Were there none to share his pain?
Lazarus: His mother and some of the women were there.
Martha: The Lord have mercy on her.
Lazarus: John helped her home at the end.
Mary: What have they done with him?
Lazarus: They received permission to take his body down, and Joseph of Arimathea has taken it to his tomb. That is all I know. They have sealed the tomb so it cannot be disturbed. Since the next day was the Sabbath, they could do nothing more.
Mary: That was yesterday. All this happened on Friday. I cannot yet believe it. There must be some mistake. Perhaps Cleopas didn't get his story straight.
Lazarus: No, he swears it. He had to get away secretly. All the followers have gone into hiding. They are afraid for their lives. It is not safe to admit that you knew him.
Martha: There is something that we have forgotten. Do you remember when we sent for him when you were ill, Lazarus? He did not come until after you were dead. And later, when I met him on the way, I was weeping. I spoke to him, saying that if he had been here, you would not have died. Do you remember what he told me?
Mary and Lazarus: Tell us again.
Martha: He said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die." Then he asked me if I believed this, and I answered, "Yes, Lord, I believe." And I believe that my Lord is alive today, and forevermore; that he is the Christ, the Son of God who came into this world to save it by his love. I believe that because of him, I, too, shall have eternal life.
Mary and Lazarus: Amen.
Mary, sister of Martha
Martha
Lazarus
Setting
Home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus
(Mary and Martha are preparing the evening meal.)
Mary: My, time goes so fast. Has it been only a week since our Lord was here for supper? It doesn't seem possible.
Martha: It is always such a pleasure when he comes with his friends. I enjoy having them here and preparing the foods I know he likes. I want him to think of our home as his home, too. He is traveling around so much I am sure he doesn't get many decent meals.
Mary: He seems to enjoy yours, Martha, but then you are an excellent cook. I only wish I was half as good as you are. Somehow, I can't seem to really get interested in cooking. Especially when the Master is here.
Martha: I have noticed that, but you manage to do all right. I was surprised, though, when you took that expensive ointment you were saving and used it to anoint his feet when he was here. I thought you were saving that for some special occasion, like, perhaps, your wedding.
Mary: In a way I was. But when I saw him there, I wanted to do something special -- something extra -- to show how much I loved him and wanted to serve him. I know I can't cook like you do, but I wanted to serve him, too.
Martha: I am sure he appreciated it, and, of course, it was a nice thing to do. He must have been tired after all that walking, and it made the whole place so fragrant. But there was one person who didn't enjoy it.
Mary: You mean Judas?
Martha: He was burning up. He was so angry, he told the Master that it was a crime to waste such expensive ointment. He said that it should have been sold and the money should have been given to the poor.
Mary: Do you remember the Master's answer? He rebuked Judas and told him to leave me alone. Then he said something strange -- that I should keep it for the day of his burial; that we always have the poor, but we will not always have him. How could that be, especially since I was already using it?
Martha: Sometimes it is hard to understand what the Master means, but I am glad he told that Judas off. I don't always trust Judas.
Mary: Our Lord must trust him, because he lets him keep the money for them.
Martha: Anyhow, it was a very nice visit. I am glad that Lazarus was here and sitting with him at the table, but I wish the Master could have stayed with us for the Passover.
Mary: Don't you remember? He said we must go to Jerusalem, that the prophecies might be fulfilled. He even talked about going away.
Martha: I am not sure I remember that. I know there was a big crowd outside. There always seems to be people following him.
Mary: That is because they have heard of the good deeds that he has done.
Martha: This time I think they wanted to see Lazarus. They had heard about him and how the Master raised him from the dead. Even now, it is hard for me to believe that Lazarus actually died and is yet alive. There are so many wicked men who hate the Master. Even the priests are jealous of the people who follow him.
Mary: How can they be so blind? Can't they understand that he preaches love and understanding of the Father?
Martha: We can never thank him enough for what he has done for us. Not only has he given us a new understanding of the Father, but he has brought back Lazarus.
Mary: I shall never forget that day. All those people crowding around, waiting to see what would happen.
Martha: Some of them were just curious. And it was dangerous for the Master to be here. He could have been stoned. The Pharisees were just waiting for the opportunity to run and tell what he had done. His disciples knew this, but they came with him.
Mary: He wept when he saw the tomb.
Martha: That is because he loves Lazarus. Now Lazarus is alive and with us.
Mary: Lazarus has changed. He seems to want to be alone and he often goes to the hills.
Martha: Yes, he is different. He is much quieter, and have you noticed? He is much more peaceful. Before, he was always getting into arguments with people, trying to tell them they were wrong, especially about the Master.
Mary: It is late, the evening meal is almost ready. It is not like Lazarus to stay away so long. Perhaps he feels responsible for the hatred and danger from the priests. I wish the Master had stayed with us.
Martha: There is no guarantee that he would have been any safer here. We must pray and wait. But where is Lazarus? The meal is getting cold.
Lazarus: (enters, breathless and shaken) It has happened. It has finally happened. The high priests have at last succeeded.
Mary and Martha: (together) What has happened? Tell us.
Lazarus: They have taken him.
Martha: Who? And how?
Lazarus: It was right after the Passover meal. The temple guards and the Roman soldiers took the Master captive and led him to the high priest.
Mary: How do you know all this?
Lazarus: Cleopas has just returned from Jerusalem. He says there has been a riot; that the people have turned against our Master.
Martha: I can't believe that. Tell us everything from the beginning. How did they take him? Wasn't he with his friends? Didn't they do anything?
Lazarus: How could a few men stand out against the temple guards? Anyhow, according to Cleopas, they had all gone to the garden after the meal, and the Master was with them. He had gone up the hill a little way and was praying.
Mary: What were the others doing?
Lazarus: They fell asleep. After all, it had been a long day. Anyhow, they were awakened by the Master and the coming of the guards. And guess who was among them -- one of his supposed friends!
Mary: Who? Surely none of them would have been with the guards. After all, they were his chosen companions. They were faithful.
Lazarus: It was Judas! He was with the guards, and he came up to the Master, kissed him, and hailed him. That is how the guards knew whom to arrest.
Martha: How awful. I cannot believe that Judas would do that, but somehow he was different from the others. He certainly objected to the oil Mary used on our Master's feet.
Mary: Please, please tell us what happened. Where did they take him?
Lazarus: They took him before the high priest, although I understand they went to his father-in-law first. The Master was alone. All the others had fled, although Peter and John followed along and went to the high priest's home. There he was tried in the early morning. I cannot believe this -- there were none who witnessed for him. Where were his friends? Why wasn't I there to testify to what he had done for me? No, he was alone.
(Mary quietly sobs)
Lazarus: The priests then sent him to Pilate, who said he couldn't find anything to condemn him for, but the priests insisted; they said he had made himself king. Pilate gave the order for his crucifixion. After he had been flogged, they gave him his cross to carry, and they made him carry it through the streets so all could see him.
Mary and Martha: (both sobbing) Oh, my Lord, my Lord, how could they have done this to you?
Lazarus: When they nailed him to the cross -- there were two others who were crucified at the same time -- the sky became very dark, and there was an earthquake. He died after the third hour.
Mary: Was he alone at the crucifixion? Were there none to share his pain?
Lazarus: His mother and some of the women were there.
Martha: The Lord have mercy on her.
Lazarus: John helped her home at the end.
Mary: What have they done with him?
Lazarus: They received permission to take his body down, and Joseph of Arimathea has taken it to his tomb. That is all I know. They have sealed the tomb so it cannot be disturbed. Since the next day was the Sabbath, they could do nothing more.
Mary: That was yesterday. All this happened on Friday. I cannot yet believe it. There must be some mistake. Perhaps Cleopas didn't get his story straight.
Lazarus: No, he swears it. He had to get away secretly. All the followers have gone into hiding. They are afraid for their lives. It is not safe to admit that you knew him.
Martha: There is something that we have forgotten. Do you remember when we sent for him when you were ill, Lazarus? He did not come until after you were dead. And later, when I met him on the way, I was weeping. I spoke to him, saying that if he had been here, you would not have died. Do you remember what he told me?
Mary and Lazarus: Tell us again.
Martha: He said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die." Then he asked me if I believed this, and I answered, "Yes, Lord, I believe." And I believe that my Lord is alive today, and forevermore; that he is the Christ, the Son of God who came into this world to save it by his love. I believe that because of him, I, too, shall have eternal life.
Mary and Lazarus: Amen.
