(Adapted from Matthew 7)
Narrator: Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad the way which leads to destruction . . .
Actor 1: Hey, it’s open. Wow!! This is great!
Narrator: . . . and many enter through it.
Actor 1: Come on, guys; there’s plenty of room in this party! (He/she walks through the imaginary gate and then mimes being destroyed.) Hey! Wait a minute . . . this isn’t what I expected. AUGH!!
Actor 2: (He/she mimes squeezing through an imaginary gate, straining as he/she speaks.) But small is the gate and narrow the road which leads to life, and very few find it.
Actor 3: (This is the character of Jesus.) Not everyone who says to Me . . .
Actor 4: (in a whiny voice) Lord, Lord . . .
Actor 3: . . . will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day . . .
Actor 4: Lord, didn’t You see me at church a bunch? I’ve been to church camp, disciple-training seminars, Christian-techno-new-wave-psychedelic-pretribulation rock concerts. I even know what the Book of Obadiah is about. I was even planning to attend the Southern Baptist Convention; but then, of course, You came . . .
Actor 3: Leave!
Actor 4: Excuse me??!?
Actor 3: Away from Me, you evil doers.
Actor 4: Don’t You know who I am?
Actor 3: I never knew you.
Narrator: As Jesus continued to speak, the people were amazed.
Actor 3: Therefore . . .
Narrator: Jesus concluded,
Actor 3: . . . everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who builds his house on the rock.
(Actor 2 becomes the house; the other actors personify the storm.)
Narrator: The rain came down, the streams rose . . .
Actor 2: Somebody get a bucket!
Narrator: . . . and the winds blew and beat against the house. (Actors beat on the back of Actor 2.)
Actor 2: Help!! I don’t think I can make it.
Narrator: Hold on to the rock!!
Actor 2: I’m trying!
Narrator: But it did not fall!
Actor 2: Whew! That was close!
Narrator: It did not fall because its foundation was on the rock.
Actor 3: But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice is like the foolish man or woman, whatever the case may be, who built his . . .
Actor 1: or her . . .
Actor 3: . . . house on sand.
Actor 1: Sand?
Actor 3: Sand. (Actors mime action of storm with Actor 1 as house.)
Narrator: The rain came down,
Actor 1: I love the rain.
Narrator: . . . and the streams rose,
Actor 1: I think I can, I think I can.
Narrator: . . . and the winds blew . . .
Actor 1: No, not the wind! Anything but the wind!
Narrator: . . . and beat against the house . . .
Actor 1: Help me! Please!
Narrator: . . . and it fell with a great CRASH!
Actor 1: Crash! (falling to the floor)
Actor 3: He who has ears to hear . . . shhh . . . listen.
(c) Matt Tullos
wordspring creative 