Mark Drama

Voice: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

"The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"

Simon and Andrew will start talking about their nets.

"Simon! Andrew! Follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people."

James and John will start talking about their nets.

"James! John! Follow me!"

Disciples welcome people to the synagogue.

"The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"

What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are - the Holy one of God!

"Be quiet! Come out of him!"

hey Jesus, let's go back into the town, everyone is looking for you!

"No, let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come."

If you are willing you can make me clean.

"I am willing. Be clean!"

After everyone reacts to the healing

"Don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them."

Cast will call everyone into the house. Once everyone is in the circle you preach.

"The time has come, the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"

Cast will lower paralytic.

"Son, your sins are forgiven."

Did you hear that? He's forgiving sins! That's blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!

"Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home."

Levi says, "Taxes, Taxes, time to pay taxes!"

"Levi, follow me."

Someone in the circle will toast to Levi. “Why does he eat with tax-collectors and sinners?”

"It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. Let's keep celebrating!"

Jesus, Jesus our disciples fast, John the Baptist's disciples fast, but look at yours they are eating and drinking!

"How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast. No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. and no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins. Levi, thank you for the invitation!"

Jesus! Look what your disciples are doing! They're taking the ears off the corn! That's harvesting! They're breaking the Sabbath!

"Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? He entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

Let's see if he heals on the sabbath. If he does, we've got him!

"Stand up in front of everyone. Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?

pause and sigh

You have no answer? Stretch out your hand."

Jesus lifts hands to prays silently, disciples leave the circle

"I'm glad so many of you are following me. I'm going to call twelve of you to be my apostles. I want you to be with me and I'm going to send you out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. Simon - I'm going to call you Peter - and Andrew James and John - you're the sons of thunder Judas, Levi ..."

I know where he gets the power to drive out demons, from Satan himself! Yes! It is by the prince of demons that he is driving out demons.

"How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. In fact, no one can enter a strong man's house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”

Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.

"Who are my mother and my brothers? Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother.

pause

I have some parables for you!"

Parable 1

“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times. Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

Jesus we don't understand. (Parables)

“Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed sown along the path. As soon as they hear the word, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Some people are like the seed sown on rocky soil, they hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Some people are like the seed sown among thorns, they hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Some people are like the seed sown on good soil, they hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown. Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear. This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come. How else can I explain the kingdom of God? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade. I think that‘s enough parables for today.”

End of parables

“Disciples, let us go over to the other side of the lake.”

Teacher, don't you care if we drown?

"Quiet (loud)! Be still (quiet)! Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God's name don't torture me!

"What is your name?"

My name is Legion, for we are many. Please don't send us out of the area. But send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.

"You evil spirits, come out of him!"

Pig farmers ask Jesus to leave.

"Okay, we'll go."

The demon-possessed man begged to go with Jesus.

"No, go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you."

My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.

(Jesus went with him.)

“If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”

“Who touched my clothes?”

You see the people crowding against you, and yet you can ask, who touched me?

"Who touched my clothes? Who touched me? I felt power go out from me. Who touched me? Who touched me?"

Woman will say it was her.

"Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

Your daughter is dead, they said. Why bother the teacher anymore?

"Don't be afraid; just believe.

Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead, but asleep."

They all laughed at him. (Jairus house)

"You, and you—leave us! Little girl, I say to you, get up! Don't tell anyone about this. And give her something to eat, she's hungry!"

Disciples welcome people to Nazareth.

"I'm glad to be preaching in the synagogue in my hometown. The time has come, the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Who does he think he is? Isn't he the carpenter? Isn't he Mary and Joseph's son?

"A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home. I am astonished at your lack of faith. Disciples, come here. I am going to send you out."

Disciples gather around Jesus

"I'm going to send you out and give you authority over evil spirits. Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them. Now off you go!”

The apostles gathered round Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.

"That sounds great. But you must be tired. Come with me to a quiet place and get some rest."

This is a remote place, and it's already very late. Send the people away… to buy themselves something to eat.

"You give them something to eat."

That would take more than half a year's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?

"How many loaves do you have? Go and see."

Five - and two fish.

"Sit down. Father, thank you for this food and for these people. Please bless them. Amen. Now collect up the leftovers."

That’s more than we started with

You cross over to the other side of the lake. I’m going to pray.

It's a ghost!!!

"Don't be afraid. It's me."

Jesus we have a question, why do your disciples eat with unwashed hands? (And not washing cups/plates)

"Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites as it is written:

“‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’

You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions. Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them."

Jesus we don't understand. (Defilement)

"Are you trying not to understand? Don't you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body. What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person's heart, that evil thoughts come.

(cast says evil)

All these evils come from inside and defile a person."

Jesus, I am a Syro-Phoenician woman. My daughter is possessed by a demon, please come and drive the demon out!

"First let the children eat all they want, for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs."

Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.

"That's a great answer! You may go; the demon has left your daughter."

Jesus, my friend is deaf and mute. Please heal him.

"Be opened!"

Disciples will ask you to send the 4,000 away.

"I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance."

"But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?"

How many loaves do you have?

Seven.

"Sit down. Father, thank you for this food and for these people. Please bless them. Amen. Now collect up the leftovers."

Jesus we have a request, give us a sign from heaven. Yes, so that we can believe.

(Sigh deeply) "Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it. Disciples, lets go over to the other side of the lake.

(travel in boat)

Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod."

It is because we have no bread.

Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?

Twelve.

"And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?"

Seven.

"Do you still not understand?"

People brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.

Do you see anything?

I see people; they look like trees walking around. After another touch, he sees.

(Jesus puts hands on eyes again) "Disciples, come with me. I have a question for you… Who do people say I am?"

Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.

"Come and sit down. But what about you? Who do you say I am?"

You are the messiah.

"Right. But don't tell anyone about this. I have something important to tell you. The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, he must be killed and after three days rise again."

No Jesus, you are wrong. You can't die, you are the messiah.

"Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns. Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.

(pause)

Peter, James, and John, come, we are going up the mountain.”

Andrew argues with the father

What are you arguing about?

Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit… Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground… I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.

"You unbelieving generation, how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me. How long has he been like this?"

From childhood, it has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.

"'If you can'? Everything is possible for the one who believes."

I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.

"You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."

Why couldn't we drive it out.

"This kind can come out only by prayer. Come on, we're going to Jerusalem. The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise."

Disciples argue about who is the greatest.

"What were you arguing about? Sit down. Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all. Do you see this child? Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."

"Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us."

Do not stop him, for no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward. If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where ‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’

Jesus! We have a question! Is it permitted for a man to divorce his wife?

"What did Moses command you?"

Moses said a man can write a certificate of divorce, give it to his wife, and send her away!

"And do you know why? It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,”* Jesus replied. But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ For this reason ‘a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."

Don't bother Jesus, this ins't a daycare.

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

"Why do you call me good? No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.”

Teacher, all these I have kept since I was a boy.

"One thing you lack. Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

Man goes away sad

How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Children, how hard it is for anyone to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.

Who then can be saved.

"With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

We have left everything to follow you.

"Truly I tell you, Anyone who has left family or possessions for me and the gospel will receive a hundred times as much in this present age- with persecutions- and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first. Come on, we're going to Jerusalem.

The Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise."

Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.

"What do you want me to do for you?"

Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.

"You don't know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I drink? Or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"

We can.

You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.

Disciples argue

You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” "Come on, we're going to Jerusalem.

Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!

"Quiet!! Call him! What do you want me to do for you?"

Rabbi, I want to see.

"Go, your faith has healed you."

After entering Jerusalem

I’m hungry.

Disciples notice a fig tree without figs

“May no one ever eat fruit from you again. Let’s go into the temple.”

Seller and moneycharger interact with the crowd.

What are you doing? Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers. Get out! Get out! Get out!’

We must get rid of this man, everyone is starting to follow him.

"Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. Let's go back into the temple."

Jesus, we have a question. Who gave you the authority to do all these things? Yes who gave you the right to do all of this?

"I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John's baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!"

"If we say from heaven he will ask us why we didn't believe John" "And if we say from men the crowd will be against us, because they all think John was a prophet."

Well, what's your answer?

We don't know.

"Then I won't tell you… But don't go! I have a story for you!

A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?"

Jesus! We know you are a man of integrity… is it right to pay taxes to Caesar? Should we or shouldn't we?

"Why are you trying to trap me? Bring me a coin and let me look at it. Whose image is this? And whose inscription?"

Casear's.

"Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's. Give to God what is God's. Give to God what is God's."

Pharisees tell story of the widowed wife

That's a great story! But you're wrong, because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!

Of all of the commandments, which is the most important?

"The most important one is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

Well said teacher. (All these are more important than offerings/sacrifices)

"You are not far from the kingdom of God. Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the David's son? In the Psalms David calls the Messiah his Lord. So here‘s the question: Is the Messiah David‘s son or David‘s Lord? Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

Widow gives her offering

Did you see that poor widow? I tell you the truth: she gave more than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on. Come on! Let's leave the temple”

Look, teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!

"Are you impressed by these great buildings? Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."

Tell us, when will these things happen? (And the sign to be fulfilled?)

"Watch out that no one deceives you. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the father. Be on guard. Be alert! What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch!"

Simon welcomes into house

"Hello Simon! (Woman pours perfume)

Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her. Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me- one who is eating with me.”

Surely you don't mean me?

"It is one of the Twelve, one who dips bread into the bowl with me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born. Father, thank you for this bread. Take it; this is my body. Father, thank you for this wine. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God. You will all fall away for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepard, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."

Even if all fall away, I will not.

"Truly I tell you, today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows you will deny me three times."

Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.

"Come with me, I need to pray. Stay here. Peter, James, John—come with me. My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch. Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."

To the disciples

“Simon, are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will. Father! If there’s another way!!!”