Moneybag
Drama
Living in the Light
22 Creative Components Including Services, Dialogues, Monologues, Skits, Dramas, Meditations, and a Litany
Object:
Character
Moneybag (offstage voice)
Props
Table
Moneybag
Coins
Microphone
Setting
Stage with spotlight
Costume
None required
(A moneybag is sitting on a table in the center of the chancel area with coins on it, around it, and down on the floor. A spotlight is on the moneybag and the person doing the monologue is out of sight with a microphone.)
Moneybag: You might wonder what a moneybag is doing talking to you in this season of Lent, a time when we think about Jesus and his trip to Jerusalem. Well, Jesus and money were always intertwined, from his birth and the rich gifts he was given, to his betrayal by Judas. And Judas -- taking the thirty silver coins given to him by the Sanhedrin -- asked these men to take back the money. But they would not take it back. "I have sinned," he said, and, "I have betrayed innocent blood." It was at this time that Judas threw the coins on the floor and back to the Pharisees.
What do we know about the money of Jesus' day? We know that there were two kinds of coins. The first were the Roman coins marked with an image of Caesar and the second were the temple coins used by the moneychangers in the outer part of the temple. That was where Roman money was exchanged for Jewish coins. There is something about me that was true in Jesus' time and is still true in the present time. There is never enough of me. If you are poor and can hardly pay the bills, you want more money. Likewise, when you have a lot of money, you still want more of it. There is never enough of me. People always want more and more.
Did you know that Jesus actually talked about money more than anything else? The money issue was in his parables, in his teachings, and in his life from the beginning until he took a whip and chased all of those moneylenders out of the temple at Jerusalem.
Jesus saw to it that Judas handled the money for Jesus and his followers, as a group. Isn't it interesting that we never hear of Judas being qualified to handle money? And yet, we hear about Matthew being a former tax collector. Obviously, he was qualified to handle money even when he cheated lots of people as a tax collector.
All of the disciples, not just Judas, complained about the extravagance of the ointment that the woman used to anoint Jesus' feet and head. It wasn't just Judas who complained. These disciples believed that this could have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor. It was worth a year's wages. Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; as keeper of the moneybag, he used to help himself to what was put in.
Jesus, himself, had no money. When he was crucified, he had no money, just his cloak, and the guards rolled dice to see who would win it.
I remember well the parable about the man who issued coins to his three workers, giving the first man ten coins, the second man five coins, and the third man one coin. These men were to invest these coins and make more money for the master. The first two men did make more money for their employer, but the third man was afraid of losing his one coin and therefore, he buried it. The two men who made money were told that they were good and faithful servants. The third man was called a lazy and wicked servant and even his one coin was taken away from him.
I have often wondered what the man who owned the pigs felt about Jesus. You remember that story, the herd of pigs was invaded by evil spirits, so Jesus told the spirits to leave and then the herd of pigs ran off the cliff and was killed. Did Jesus think about the cost of all these pigs and what it would do to their owner? We don't know from the story, but I bet Jesus did know the cost.
One day, Jesus gave the people the blessings you call the Beatitudes. He told the disciples that the people, about 5,000 of them, plus women and children, were hungry and needed fed. He asked the disciples to feed the 5,000, but the disciples did not know how they could do this. Judas told them that they didn't have that much money, and the others agreed. They told Jesus to send the people away. Jesus was then given two little fish and five loaves of bread. He blessed them and then asked the disciples to give that meager amount of food to the crowd. They did, and they had twelve baskets left over. Remember, when you share of me there is always more than enough.
Many cruel things have been done to people because of me -- because of money! There have been wars, robberies, greed, and deaths. The crusades were some of the worst of the wars and deaths because of me. Some of the thousands who were killed in just the last century, and even the current wars, are all for money in one way or another. However, most of these things are because of the love of money. Money, itself, isn't bad or sinful; money can do so much good.
Do you want to be me or another bag of money in either coins or paper bills? Do you want to be rich and have enough? What would you do to have a moneybag of your own? Think before you answer, for each decision you make about money is a time of crossroads, a time of decision.
Think before you answer!
(Spotlight turns off immediately after the last word is spoken.)
Moneybag (offstage voice)
Props
Table
Moneybag
Coins
Microphone
Setting
Stage with spotlight
Costume
None required
(A moneybag is sitting on a table in the center of the chancel area with coins on it, around it, and down on the floor. A spotlight is on the moneybag and the person doing the monologue is out of sight with a microphone.)
Moneybag: You might wonder what a moneybag is doing talking to you in this season of Lent, a time when we think about Jesus and his trip to Jerusalem. Well, Jesus and money were always intertwined, from his birth and the rich gifts he was given, to his betrayal by Judas. And Judas -- taking the thirty silver coins given to him by the Sanhedrin -- asked these men to take back the money. But they would not take it back. "I have sinned," he said, and, "I have betrayed innocent blood." It was at this time that Judas threw the coins on the floor and back to the Pharisees.
What do we know about the money of Jesus' day? We know that there were two kinds of coins. The first were the Roman coins marked with an image of Caesar and the second were the temple coins used by the moneychangers in the outer part of the temple. That was where Roman money was exchanged for Jewish coins. There is something about me that was true in Jesus' time and is still true in the present time. There is never enough of me. If you are poor and can hardly pay the bills, you want more money. Likewise, when you have a lot of money, you still want more of it. There is never enough of me. People always want more and more.
Did you know that Jesus actually talked about money more than anything else? The money issue was in his parables, in his teachings, and in his life from the beginning until he took a whip and chased all of those moneylenders out of the temple at Jerusalem.
Jesus saw to it that Judas handled the money for Jesus and his followers, as a group. Isn't it interesting that we never hear of Judas being qualified to handle money? And yet, we hear about Matthew being a former tax collector. Obviously, he was qualified to handle money even when he cheated lots of people as a tax collector.
All of the disciples, not just Judas, complained about the extravagance of the ointment that the woman used to anoint Jesus' feet and head. It wasn't just Judas who complained. These disciples believed that this could have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor. It was worth a year's wages. Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; as keeper of the moneybag, he used to help himself to what was put in.
Jesus, himself, had no money. When he was crucified, he had no money, just his cloak, and the guards rolled dice to see who would win it.
I remember well the parable about the man who issued coins to his three workers, giving the first man ten coins, the second man five coins, and the third man one coin. These men were to invest these coins and make more money for the master. The first two men did make more money for their employer, but the third man was afraid of losing his one coin and therefore, he buried it. The two men who made money were told that they were good and faithful servants. The third man was called a lazy and wicked servant and even his one coin was taken away from him.
I have often wondered what the man who owned the pigs felt about Jesus. You remember that story, the herd of pigs was invaded by evil spirits, so Jesus told the spirits to leave and then the herd of pigs ran off the cliff and was killed. Did Jesus think about the cost of all these pigs and what it would do to their owner? We don't know from the story, but I bet Jesus did know the cost.
One day, Jesus gave the people the blessings you call the Beatitudes. He told the disciples that the people, about 5,000 of them, plus women and children, were hungry and needed fed. He asked the disciples to feed the 5,000, but the disciples did not know how they could do this. Judas told them that they didn't have that much money, and the others agreed. They told Jesus to send the people away. Jesus was then given two little fish and five loaves of bread. He blessed them and then asked the disciples to give that meager amount of food to the crowd. They did, and they had twelve baskets left over. Remember, when you share of me there is always more than enough.
Many cruel things have been done to people because of me -- because of money! There have been wars, robberies, greed, and deaths. The crusades were some of the worst of the wars and deaths because of me. Some of the thousands who were killed in just the last century, and even the current wars, are all for money in one way or another. However, most of these things are because of the love of money. Money, itself, isn't bad or sinful; money can do so much good.
Do you want to be me or another bag of money in either coins or paper bills? Do you want to be rich and have enough? What would you do to have a moneybag of your own? Think before you answer, for each decision you make about money is a time of crossroads, a time of decision.
Think before you answer!
(Spotlight turns off immediately after the last word is spoken.)
