Every Knee?
Drama
Thespian Theology
Lent/Easter
Thespian Theological Thoughts
Philippians 2:5-11 is a marvelous exposition of the mystery of the Incarnation. The words are a hymn which was sung by the early Christian church.
At its heart, the Incarnation is something which each one of us must experience for ourselves. As something experiential, it has nothing to do with intellectual assent.
Simon of Cyrene, Peter the fisherman, Mary Magdalene, and the Roman centurion experienced it. Pilate, the Chief Priest, and Herod did not; their greed for political power and their intellectual arrogance -- and just plain old self-centeredness -- got in the way.
May we all avoid these deadly sins and come to the place where, with an unnamed Roman centurion, we can say, "Truly this man is God's Son!"
P.S. Note that the believers in this drama refer to Jesus in the past tense. This is Palm Sunday: Jesus hasn't risen yet. But Easter's comin'!
Cast
Narrator
Simon of Cyrene
Simon Peter
Mary Magdalene
Roman Centurion
Pontius Pilate
Chief Priest
King Herod
Props/Costumes
Centurion -- soldier's helmet, sword
Pilate/Herod -- Burger King crowns
Chief Priest -- robe, hat (any preposterous hat)
Simon/Peter/Mary/Centurion -- Kneeling pads
(Narrator is at podium, stage left)
Narrator: In today's readings, both the prophet Isaiah and Paul the apostle tell us that every knee shall bow before God. We have with us seven participants in the drama of Jesus' crucifixion: Four whose knees bow down low / Three whose knees still don't know. Let me introduce our Dramatis Personae to you.
Simon of Cyrene (Enters stage left; kneels)
Pontius Pilate (Enters stage right; stands)
Simon Peter (Enters stage left; kneels)
The Chief Priest (Enters stage right; stands)
Mary Magdalene (Enters stage left; kneels)
King Herod (Enters stage right; stands)
and a Roman Centurion (Enters stage left; kneels)
We asked our Dramatis Personae in for a roundtable discussion today but they all preferred to remain in this posture (Points to characters), so we didn't have to mess with a table and chairs! So, who wants to start?
Simon: I do. My knees bow to Jesus because he is the Messiah, the Chosen One of God, the Savior of Israel! Let me tell you how it was. My family lives in a small settlement in North Africa, and my sons and I made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Passover. I had heard about this Jesus, a carpenter/rabbi from a small Galilean town, but I never expected to meet him up close. After Jesus was condemned to death, I joined the crowd to watch the sentence being carried out. As Jesus passed by where I was standing, I could see that he was struggling to carry that heavy timber. His whole body was covered with blood and dirt and sweat. He looked like walking death! Then, this Roman soldier (Points to Centurion) ordered his men to find someone to help Jesus carry his cross and the soldiers came and grabbed me. Let me tell you: that timber was heavy! When we got to Golgotha, the soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross and hung him up to die ... and he never said a mumblin' word! The soldiers and all the bystanders cursed at Jesus and mocked him ... and he never said a mumblin'Êword back to them. In fact, I think he even asked God to forgive them! Now, I'm not a big-time theologian, but I have heard what the prophets have written about the Messiah -- and Jesus fulfills all the prophecies. He is the one!
Pilate: Poppycock! This Jesus was nothing more or less than a pawn of the religious establishment in Jerusalem. Ya know, you Jews give me a sweet pain. No matter what I try to do for you, I always end up doing the politically incorrect thing. I just don't understand your religion. Now, about this Jesus: I knew in my heart that this little Jewish carpenter was innocent of any wrongdoing. The Jews said he was guilty of blasphemy against their God. I can't relate to that. So then they tell me he's guilty of sedition, because he claimed to be King of the Jews. I mean, really: Does anybody here think that some insignificant carpenter's apprentice from Nazareth -- where is Nazareth, anyway? -- that this nobody poses any threat to the majesty of Rome? Of course not! And, time and again, I tried to tell you bozos that this man was innocent ... but nobody listened to me! I even tried to get off the hook by offering to release Jesus in honor of your Passover, whatever that is. But whom did this unruly mob want me to release? Barabbas, a murderer and rabble-rouser who is much more of a threat to public safety than this quiet little Galilean carpenter ever was! Nosirree, I won't bow my knee to your Jesus. He was just an innocent pawn in the political donnybrook between me and the Jews!
Peter: You're wrong, Pilate ... very wrong! Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the living God -- and you put him to death! You can wash yourself all you want to, Pilate, but the blood of Jesus is on your hands. I knew and loved Jesus as well as anyone in Israel -- and to my eternal shame, I denied him when he needed me most! I walked with him and talked with him for the better part of three years, and I know that he was who he said he was: the Holy One of God. He taught and healed and showed us the way ... and then, when the going got tough, I let him down! But I know, deep in my heart, that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the living God.
Chief Priest: Balderdash! How could God's Messiah be a car-penter's apprentice from Nazareth? Nothing in the Law and the Prophets supports that! And this Jesus of yours was a lawbreaker. He and his followers -- you included, Peter -- were continually violating the law of the Sabbath. Your Jesus preached blasphemy and all kinds of nonsense: tax collectors justified before God, while a Pharisee is condemned; rich men not getting into heaven because a camel can't go through the eye of a needle. And his views on our dietary laws were nothing short of scandalous! That carpenter was a rabble-rouser and a blasphemer ... and that's that!
Mary: I beg to differ with you, your Chief-Priestness! Jesus was exactly what he said he was: God in the flesh. The heart of God's law is mercy, not legalism and judgment. Jesus looked at this miserable sinner (Points to herself), and he saw a wounded sister who needed love and forgiveness and redemption ... and then he was there to give it to me. He cast out seven demons from me! Now don't tell me a blasphemer can do that!
Herod: I don't want to hear these old wives' tales about Jesus and his so-called miracles! When he appeared before me, Jesus refused to open his mouth, so I just got rid of him. Quite frankly, I found this carpenter to be quite unremarkable, much like all those country bumpkins from Galilee. I had dealt with his cousin, John the Baptizer, and I didn't want a thing to do with this Jesus. So I sent him off to my friend Governor Pilate, who gave Jesus what he richly deserved: Roman whips and a cross!
Centurion: Please don't remind me that I participated in this horror.
Pilate: Watch your mouth, Centurion!
Centurion: No! I cannot stay silent. I was in command of the execution detail on that terrible day. My men and I stripped Jesus; we beat him to within an inch of his life; we mocked him and spat on him; we nailed him to the cross; we cast lots for the few pitiful pieces of clothing he had; and we presided over the protracted agony of his death. And from noon until three in the afternoon, darkness came over us ... it was like the dead of night! And what did Jesus do all this time? Did he cry out in anger and resentment over this gross miscarriage of justice? Did he call down curses on us, his torturers? Did he give voice to any self-centered thought at all? No. He actually asked his God to forgive us! When I saw how this man died, I just knew: Truly this man was God's Son.
Narrator: Well, there you have it, folks; Four whose knees bow down low / Three whose knees still don't know. There's something about each one whose knees bow: They all experienced Jesus in a deep, personal way.
Simon: I helped carry his cross, and I never heard a mumblin' word of complaint -- just words of love and forgiveness.
Peter: He taught, and healed, and showed us the way. Deep in my heart, I know that Jesus was the Messiah. I just hope he can forgive me!
Mary: He brought me love and forgiveness and redemption. Don't tell me that Jesus is anything but the Son of the living God!
Centurion: He died an agonizing and lonely death, and he refused to condemn any of us who were responsible for his death. Truly this man was God's Son!
Pilate: Poppycock! (Exits stage right)
Chief Priest: Balderdash! (Exits stage right)
Herod: Old wives' tales! (Exits stage right)
Narrator: Hmmmm. Those whose knees still don't know seem to be hung up on political power, legalism, and self-absorption. What do you think?
Simon/Peter/Mary/Centurion: (Stand up and recite or read from Bible Philippians 2:5-11) "Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death -- even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every knee, so that at the name of Jesus (All kneel) every knee shall bend, in heaven and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Philippians 2:5-11 is a marvelous exposition of the mystery of the Incarnation. The words are a hymn which was sung by the early Christian church.
At its heart, the Incarnation is something which each one of us must experience for ourselves. As something experiential, it has nothing to do with intellectual assent.
Simon of Cyrene, Peter the fisherman, Mary Magdalene, and the Roman centurion experienced it. Pilate, the Chief Priest, and Herod did not; their greed for political power and their intellectual arrogance -- and just plain old self-centeredness -- got in the way.
May we all avoid these deadly sins and come to the place where, with an unnamed Roman centurion, we can say, "Truly this man is God's Son!"
P.S. Note that the believers in this drama refer to Jesus in the past tense. This is Palm Sunday: Jesus hasn't risen yet. But Easter's comin'!
Cast
Narrator
Simon of Cyrene
Simon Peter
Mary Magdalene
Roman Centurion
Pontius Pilate
Chief Priest
King Herod
Props/Costumes
Centurion -- soldier's helmet, sword
Pilate/Herod -- Burger King crowns
Chief Priest -- robe, hat (any preposterous hat)
Simon/Peter/Mary/Centurion -- Kneeling pads
(Narrator is at podium, stage left)
Narrator: In today's readings, both the prophet Isaiah and Paul the apostle tell us that every knee shall bow before God. We have with us seven participants in the drama of Jesus' crucifixion: Four whose knees bow down low / Three whose knees still don't know. Let me introduce our Dramatis Personae to you.
Simon of Cyrene (Enters stage left; kneels)
Pontius Pilate (Enters stage right; stands)
Simon Peter (Enters stage left; kneels)
The Chief Priest (Enters stage right; stands)
Mary Magdalene (Enters stage left; kneels)
King Herod (Enters stage right; stands)
and a Roman Centurion (Enters stage left; kneels)
We asked our Dramatis Personae in for a roundtable discussion today but they all preferred to remain in this posture (Points to characters), so we didn't have to mess with a table and chairs! So, who wants to start?
Simon: I do. My knees bow to Jesus because he is the Messiah, the Chosen One of God, the Savior of Israel! Let me tell you how it was. My family lives in a small settlement in North Africa, and my sons and I made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Passover. I had heard about this Jesus, a carpenter/rabbi from a small Galilean town, but I never expected to meet him up close. After Jesus was condemned to death, I joined the crowd to watch the sentence being carried out. As Jesus passed by where I was standing, I could see that he was struggling to carry that heavy timber. His whole body was covered with blood and dirt and sweat. He looked like walking death! Then, this Roman soldier (Points to Centurion) ordered his men to find someone to help Jesus carry his cross and the soldiers came and grabbed me. Let me tell you: that timber was heavy! When we got to Golgotha, the soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross and hung him up to die ... and he never said a mumblin' word! The soldiers and all the bystanders cursed at Jesus and mocked him ... and he never said a mumblin'Êword back to them. In fact, I think he even asked God to forgive them! Now, I'm not a big-time theologian, but I have heard what the prophets have written about the Messiah -- and Jesus fulfills all the prophecies. He is the one!
Pilate: Poppycock! This Jesus was nothing more or less than a pawn of the religious establishment in Jerusalem. Ya know, you Jews give me a sweet pain. No matter what I try to do for you, I always end up doing the politically incorrect thing. I just don't understand your religion. Now, about this Jesus: I knew in my heart that this little Jewish carpenter was innocent of any wrongdoing. The Jews said he was guilty of blasphemy against their God. I can't relate to that. So then they tell me he's guilty of sedition, because he claimed to be King of the Jews. I mean, really: Does anybody here think that some insignificant carpenter's apprentice from Nazareth -- where is Nazareth, anyway? -- that this nobody poses any threat to the majesty of Rome? Of course not! And, time and again, I tried to tell you bozos that this man was innocent ... but nobody listened to me! I even tried to get off the hook by offering to release Jesus in honor of your Passover, whatever that is. But whom did this unruly mob want me to release? Barabbas, a murderer and rabble-rouser who is much more of a threat to public safety than this quiet little Galilean carpenter ever was! Nosirree, I won't bow my knee to your Jesus. He was just an innocent pawn in the political donnybrook between me and the Jews!
Peter: You're wrong, Pilate ... very wrong! Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the living God -- and you put him to death! You can wash yourself all you want to, Pilate, but the blood of Jesus is on your hands. I knew and loved Jesus as well as anyone in Israel -- and to my eternal shame, I denied him when he needed me most! I walked with him and talked with him for the better part of three years, and I know that he was who he said he was: the Holy One of God. He taught and healed and showed us the way ... and then, when the going got tough, I let him down! But I know, deep in my heart, that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the living God.
Chief Priest: Balderdash! How could God's Messiah be a car-penter's apprentice from Nazareth? Nothing in the Law and the Prophets supports that! And this Jesus of yours was a lawbreaker. He and his followers -- you included, Peter -- were continually violating the law of the Sabbath. Your Jesus preached blasphemy and all kinds of nonsense: tax collectors justified before God, while a Pharisee is condemned; rich men not getting into heaven because a camel can't go through the eye of a needle. And his views on our dietary laws were nothing short of scandalous! That carpenter was a rabble-rouser and a blasphemer ... and that's that!
Mary: I beg to differ with you, your Chief-Priestness! Jesus was exactly what he said he was: God in the flesh. The heart of God's law is mercy, not legalism and judgment. Jesus looked at this miserable sinner (Points to herself), and he saw a wounded sister who needed love and forgiveness and redemption ... and then he was there to give it to me. He cast out seven demons from me! Now don't tell me a blasphemer can do that!
Herod: I don't want to hear these old wives' tales about Jesus and his so-called miracles! When he appeared before me, Jesus refused to open his mouth, so I just got rid of him. Quite frankly, I found this carpenter to be quite unremarkable, much like all those country bumpkins from Galilee. I had dealt with his cousin, John the Baptizer, and I didn't want a thing to do with this Jesus. So I sent him off to my friend Governor Pilate, who gave Jesus what he richly deserved: Roman whips and a cross!
Centurion: Please don't remind me that I participated in this horror.
Pilate: Watch your mouth, Centurion!
Centurion: No! I cannot stay silent. I was in command of the execution detail on that terrible day. My men and I stripped Jesus; we beat him to within an inch of his life; we mocked him and spat on him; we nailed him to the cross; we cast lots for the few pitiful pieces of clothing he had; and we presided over the protracted agony of his death. And from noon until three in the afternoon, darkness came over us ... it was like the dead of night! And what did Jesus do all this time? Did he cry out in anger and resentment over this gross miscarriage of justice? Did he call down curses on us, his torturers? Did he give voice to any self-centered thought at all? No. He actually asked his God to forgive us! When I saw how this man died, I just knew: Truly this man was God's Son.
Narrator: Well, there you have it, folks; Four whose knees bow down low / Three whose knees still don't know. There's something about each one whose knees bow: They all experienced Jesus in a deep, personal way.
Simon: I helped carry his cross, and I never heard a mumblin' word of complaint -- just words of love and forgiveness.
Peter: He taught, and healed, and showed us the way. Deep in my heart, I know that Jesus was the Messiah. I just hope he can forgive me!
Mary: He brought me love and forgiveness and redemption. Don't tell me that Jesus is anything but the Son of the living God!
Centurion: He died an agonizing and lonely death, and he refused to condemn any of us who were responsible for his death. Truly this man was God's Son!
Pilate: Poppycock! (Exits stage right)
Chief Priest: Balderdash! (Exits stage right)
Herod: Old wives' tales! (Exits stage right)
Narrator: Hmmmm. Those whose knees still don't know seem to be hung up on political power, legalism, and self-absorption. What do you think?
Simon/Peter/Mary/Centurion: (Stand up and recite or read from Bible Philippians 2:5-11) "Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death -- even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every knee, so that at the name of Jesus (All kneel) every knee shall bend, in heaven and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
