See My Hands, My Side

(a brief one act play set in the present)

by Harold McNabb

Scene: The living room of a contemporary home. Jesus’ disciples have gathered because they have heard rumors that his body has disappeared from the tomb.

John: Yes, its true. Peter and I were there. We saw it. Mary is telling the truth.

Mary: Thank you John. See, I told you. You just won’t believe a woman.

Martha and I were there first too.

(She crosses her arms and looks out the window)

Peter: It’s just like they told us. John and I went to the grave. I even went in and the

burial shroud was just lying there.

Thomas: Peter, I know you believe more easily that me, but that doesn’t prove anything.

Mary: Thomas, I’m telling you, I SAW Him. He spoke to me.

Thomas: Sorry, Mary, I just can’t accept that. Not unless I see for myself.

Peter: So what kind of proof would you accept?

John: Isn’t our word good enough for you?

Thomas: I believe you saw what you saw. An empty grave. A burial shroud. Someone…

in a garden. It was dark you say.

Mary: It wasn’t that dark. It was the Lord. I know who I saw. He spoke to me.

Thomas: That may be good enough for the rest of you, but it’s not good enough for me.

Unless I see him and touch the wounds, no way am I going to accept that

He has come back from the grave. I’m sorry.

Martha: You don’t remember my brother, Lazarus? Or the little girl?

The Lord raised them.

Thomas: True, but now its HIM who is dead. I want to believe but I just don’t think I

am willing to say He is alive without first hand evidence.

(A man enters the room. They all gasp.)

John: Lord!

Jesus: Peace be with you.

Thomas, you say you want proof.

Here… see my hands, my side. Come, touch them.

I want you to know beyond any shadow of doubt that it’s really me.

Thomas: My Lord!

(a brief pause. They gaze at Jesus in amazement.)

Martha: (scrunches up her face in an expression of horror)

Lord, that must have been incredibly painful.

Jesus: Yes, Martha, it was. But it was meant to be. The sins of the world are not forgiven

cheaply.

Martha: Yes, but your face, it’s so swollen from where they beat you.

(she puts her hands up to touch the swelling, but withdraws her hand)

Mary: What happened to your head? There is blood in your hair!

Jesus: They made a mock crown out of a thorn bush. The thorns cut my scalp.

(they all look shocked at such a sight)

Mary: I think you should put something on them.

Jesus: It’s going to be fine.

Martha: Lord, you can’t go out looking like that…I will get my make up. We can cover

the bruises with some blush. I think if you comb your hair a bit differently,

the cuts on your scalp won’t show. (she hurries off)

John: But your hands!

Peter: I know a good plastic surgeon, Lord. (he gets out his cell phone and starts to dial) I

know he can make them like new.

Thomas: What about the feet. Those are nasty wounds.

Peter: Same thing…. or you could wear socks with sandals…he chuckles at his joke.

(Martha returns with a make-up kit)

Jesus: Stop!

Martha: (with her make-up case) It’s no problem. We will have you looking as if nothing

has happened.

Jesus: I said stop! Don’t you understand?

I am not ashamed of how I look.

Peter: You want to go around like that? What about shaking hands? Children will be

frightened.

Jesus: Give me a Bible.

(John hands him his Bible. Jesus flips through the pages.)

Jesus: OK, listen. This is from Isaiah

Who has believed our message

and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

He grew up before him like a tender shoot,

and like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

Jesus pauses and looks at the assembled group. He then continues reading

He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.

Like one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he took up our infirmities

and carried our sorrows,

yet we considered him stricken by God,

smitten by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

each of us has turned to his own way;

and the LORD has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

Don’t you see? I am not ashamed of my scars.

They are the sign of God’s great love and God’s great mercy.

And I don’t want you to be ashamed of them either.

In fact they are the very thing you need to be most proud of…

Peter: Sorry.

Martha: Yes, me too. I didn’t mean to say I wasn’t-- well totally grateful.

You know I am.

Jesus: Yes I know you are Martha. I know you all are. But I also know you are human

and how important physical appearance is to you.

You all have much to learn, but the Spirit will teach you.

In the meantime, I want you to remember everytime you come together that

it is by my wounds, by my scars and my blood that you are free.

You must never forget that.

Don’t ever try to erase that fact, or diminish it.

I know the thought of it is ugly. It is ugly, but I want you to see the beauty in it.

You will see it when you gather to share the cup and the bread --just like I taught

you.

(they all nod in agreement and dawning awareness)

Peter: Lord, let’s do that right now!

Jesus: No, I will not celebrate it with you until all is accomplished.

Then we will celebrate in the kingdom in a way you cannot imagine.

I am looking forward to that.

Peter: Me too!

The rest nod in assent

Jesus: But in the meantime, don’t forget about my sufferings.

Do not be ashamed. Be glad.

(he holds out his hands, palms up)

See the nail prints.

See how great the Father’s love is that He sent the Son to suffer and to

die for you. That is what you must tell everyone. And anyone who will

put their confidence in this act of love will be loved by the Father.

John: We will. We will remember and tell them. God so loved the world that he

Sent his only son to die and whoever believes will not die, but have eternal

Life.

Jesus: Exactly John. Write that down so others can know it too.

John: I will. Promise.

( exit)