Performance: Castle Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church - March 31, 2018
[Thomas begins to walk down isle towards the stage, carrying fishing nets and rope]
Crowd 1: Hey Thomas! Where’s that messiah of yours? Oh, that’s right. He got stuck up a tree! Shame that. Hahahha [mutters and sits down] Messiah, Yeah right.
[Thomas hurries to other side of stage and begins to sort out his nets, then]
Crowd
2: Oi! Weren’t you one of those trouble maker followers of Jesus of
Nazareth? The priests would like a word with you ! They want to know
where you’ve hidden his body. Oi, where you going? [mutters and sits] Trouble maker.
[Thomas
grabs the nets and rushes off stage - three disciples enter the balcony
area and Thomas arrives just as they start to bar the door shut -
there’s a table with food set up - Thomas has fishing nets in his arms ]
Thomas: Wait for me, guys! Could you help me with
these nets.
[struggles through the door - drops a rope over the balcony to distract audience and Jesus sneaks in behind nets and hides under table. If Jesus isn’t planted already under table]
[struggles through the door - drops a rope over the balcony to distract audience and Jesus sneaks in behind nets and hides under table. If Jesus isn’t planted already under table]
James: Tom, why are you bringing your fishing nets up here?
T:
There was some people going to turn me in to the priests, I just
grabbed my nets and ran. Do you think anyone was following us?
Matthew: Nah, all good, don’t stress, mate.
T: I’m still getting heckled like nothing else out there.
J: That’s the truth. I really thought we’d have seen more of Jesus by now. Sure would help if he appeared to the priests too.
M: Yeah it’s been a week since he appeared to us all.
[James nudges Matt with his elbow to be quiet and not offend Tom]
M: [mutters] Well, to most of us.
T: Yeah, well I still think you were all drunk.
M: I’m telling you, Jesus appeared, right here.
BART: Yeah, we all saw him. [smiles] It was incredible to see him again - alive!
T: Still drunk I say.
B: But you know we don’t drink.
T: [mutters] Maybe it’s a good time to start.
J: Thomas, everything’s going to be ok, I don’t know how we can convince you of what we saw.
T: Look, until he shows me his scared hands you’re all delusional in my mind. Clinging onto false hope.
M: We saw him! Honest!
T: If you saw anything it was a ghost.
J: No, He ate with us. A ghost couldn’t eat.
T: Maybe it was one of those imitators going around. Played a sick trick on you all. Sure fooled you lot.
M: But he just appeared in the locked room.
B: We recognised his voice. He’s alive.
T:
[uptight] NO, he’s NOT alive. I saw him hanging on the cross. They
killed our master. He’s gone and all hope is lost. Stop denying it.
M: But He has risen. He came and showed himself to us. And encouraged us.
T: [upset] Then why didn’t He show himself to me!?
[Tom
breaks down standing at balcony rail, both disciples come either side
closely to comfort. Jesus stands behind them who has been hiding down
behind the table all service]
Jesus: Peace be with you, Thomas
[ the disciples part in shock, revealing Jesus standing behind them.]
Jesus: [lovingly] Look at my hands. Touch them. Stop doubting and believe.
[Tom falls to his knees in joy. Doesn’t need to actually see hands]
T: My Lord, my God.
[Jesus first addresses Thomas]
Jesus: Because you have seen me, you have believed.
[Jesus walks to balcony and looks for a moment, then addresses the audience]
Jesus: Blessed are those who have not seen... yet have believed.
Exit