SURELY NOT I?

RATHER THAN BEING FOUND FULL OF FICKLE FOLLY,

LET US BE FORTIFIED BY THE FULNESS OF THE SPIRIT

TO FOCUS ON BECOMING

A FAITHFUL FOOL FOR CHRIST

Maundy Thursday

April 1st, 2010

[Narrator tells what is taking place,

quoting the account of the Last Supper in Matthew’s Gospel (26:20-25)]

NARRATOR: Now … [Several robed figures enter to take places around altar table.]

when evening came, [Last figure enters, hooded in white, centered before the table with back to congregation.]

Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples.

As they were eating, He said, [HOODED FIGURE gestures toward others.]

HOODED FIGURE: "Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me."

NARRATOR: Being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him,

"Surely not I, Lord?" [This same line is spoken by each one in turn.

Figures on stage then exit, except hooded figure. ]

HOODED FIGURE: [Turns to face congregation to reveal MINISTER wearing red nose.]

"Surely not I?" [MINISTER removes red nose before continuing.]

What a strange form of question!

A negative answer seems not only hopefully expected, but fervently requested.

The disciples each appear to plea, “Please, Lord, assure me of my faithfulness!”

Such sad disbelief!

The deep sense of vulnerability surrounding this question was tragically exposed as true in the last hours of Jesus’ life.

No disciple of Jesus was much of a model for faithfulness.

Each disciple failed in some way to follow faithfully.

Judas betrayed Jesus.

Peter, having boldly boasted with such bravado about his fervent faithfulness, denied knowing his Lord three times.

Not one of the Twelve even attended to Jesus’ body after the crucifixion!

All of them had fled from the Garden of Gethsamane, finding out just how foolish it was to base their faith on the false foundation of their own fickle fortitude.

These fallen followers had yet to realize their utter need for the fullness of the Spirit.

"Surely not I?" Was this a faithful question … or a foolish boast?

[Suddenly someone wearing a jester’s cap appears in the back of the sanctuary.]

CLOWN: "Surely not I, Lord?"

[CLOWN continues, sometimes humming on kazoo, marching about energetically.

MINISTER responds at will.]

Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”

He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.

There you have it. Plans were made to kill me as well as Jesus.

[Throughout the following, there will be interplay between CLOWN & MINISTER]

You may call me Laz, or even Lazzi, if you like. My given name is Lazarus – yes, the same Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead. Ever since that day, it seems to me that God has put me on theatrical display. I have been made a spectacle to the whole universe!

MINISTER: Why?

LAZ: Because I was foolish enough to give a true account of what Jesus did for me. People were going over to Jesus because I told them that he had raised me from the dead. You may think I am a fool and so I am. I am a fool for Christ! Whose fool are you?

[MINISTER may respond.]

LAZ: I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness.

MINISTER: But, we are already doing that.

LAZ: You, however, are looking only on the surface of things.

MINISTER:* Some here are saying, as wordy as you are, you really are unimpressive in person; even if you are Lazarus, all your talk doesn’t amount to much.

LAZ: I may not be a trained speaker, but I do know what is what.

Don’t deceive yourselves: If anyone of you think you are wise, by what standard are you making such judgment? If by the standards of this age, then you, too, should become a “fool” so that you may become wise!

The wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight.

MINISTER: So what are you doing here? It surely looks like some boastful masquerade.

LAZ: What I am doing here is not intended to be some boastful masquerade. I make no deceitful claims; this is no mere act. Let no one take me for a fool.

MINISTER:* It’s way too later for that.

LAZ: But if you do, then receive me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting myself.

MINISTER: You’re starting to sound a bit worldly as well as wordy.

LAZ: Since so many out there are boasting in the way the world does, I’ll boast, too.

MINISTER: You expect us to put up with that?

LAZ: You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise!

In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or pushes himself forward or slaps you in the face.

To my shame I admit that I am too weak for that!

MINISTER: Point well taken.

LAZ: Yet, what anyone else dares to boast about – I am speaking as a fool – I also dare to boast about.

MINISTER: Do you know what you are up against?

LAZ: Whatever they say they are, I am more.

MINISTER:* You’re out of your mind!

LAZ: I am out of my mind to talk like this.

MINISTER: But look what they have going for them.

LAZ: Are they servants of Christ? Are they “Christ’s ambassadors”? I am.

[CLOWN breaks into song.]

We are Christ’s ambassadors, and our colors we will unfurl.

We all wear a spotless robe, clean and righteous before the world.

We know we’ve been cleansed from sin, and that Jesus dwells within.

Proving duly that we’re truly, Christ’s ambassadors!

Proving duly (slap knees, snap fingers, clap hands) that we’re truly (repeat slap, snap, clap),

Christ’s ambassa -, Christ’s ambassa-, Chri-i-i-i-st’s am-bas-sa-do-o-o-o-rs!

[Pause for applause … or not.]

MINISTER: So, what else can we expect from a true ambassador of Christ?

LAZ: You can expect me to be BOLD, … especially toward those people who think it’s fine to live by the standards of this world.

MINISTER: Don’t forget that you still live in this world.

LAZ: However, just because I live in this world, I don’t go about waging war as the world does. No, the “weapons” with which I fight are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, I have the power to demolish strongholds! I demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God; I take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

In this self-confident boasting, I know I don’t sound like one following the true way …

MINISTER: You sound like a fool.

LAZ: If I sound like a fool, so be it. And do you know why?

MINISTER: Because you are a fool?

LAZ: No! Because of the Gospel message! The message of the cross!

MINISTER: So that’s your excuse?

LAZ: The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God. God was pleased through the foolishness of the gospel to save those who believe, since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom cannot know him.

MINISTER: You are beginning to sound a bit ant-intellectual.

LAZ: Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? Did not God say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, the intelligence of the intelligent will I frustrate”?

MINISTER:* What about those who came here expecting to be shown something?

LAZ: Some of you may demand something spectacular, some demand a witty show of wise words. But what I have to say is simply this:

death is overcome through Jesus Christ.

MINISTER: That sounds simple enough.

LAZ: This simple message is a stumbling block to those demanding miracles, foolishness to those wanting wisdom.

MINISTER:* But what is it to us?

LAZ: To those of us whom God has called, just as Jesus called me from the grave, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

MINISTER: That’s not fooling around!

LAZ: Indeed – for the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

MINISTER:* So we go around looking like weak fools and that’s supposed to be good news?

LAZ: It is good news, because in our weakness God is strong.

MINISTER:* And we end up troubled on every side!

LAZ: Yet not distressed.

MINISTER:* We become perplexed!

LAZ: But not in despair.

MINISTER:* We’ll be persecuted!

LAZ: But not forsaken.

MINISTER:* Cast down!

LAZ: But not destroyed.

No, while we live we can expect to always face death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus might be manifested in our own mortality. I know that, just as the Lord Jesus raised me from the dead, God raised Jesus after dying on the cross, and so shall all who receive His Spirit, as my sister Martha confessed, be raised up in the Resurrection.

MINISTER:* So folly and death becomes a daily part of life?

LAZ: It already has. Now, however, because of the life and death of our Lord Jesus Christ, instead of expecting deadly folly, everyone of us can fully experience His Resurrection as a Way of Life.

[singing] I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me though he were dead,

Yet shall he live, yet shall he live; For whosoever liveth and believeth in me

Shall never, never die!

Do you believe this? [CLOWN exits. Further remarks per speaker’s discretion.]

MINISTER: Paul wrote to the church in Corinth [1 Corinthians 1:18-31]:

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. …

…consider your calling, brothers and sisters, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.

But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD."

Surely not I, Lord? [Pause.]

“Surely God is my salvation;

I will trust and not be afraid.”^{(Isaiah 12:2)}

Amen.

REMARKS:

The presentation should be playfully performed with serious intent. The theme is FOLLY & FOLLOWING JESUS.

The presiding MINISTER plays the part of the HOODED FIGURE. It is up to the discretion of the MINISTER as to how many others are to participate in the performance. It may be preferable to have others speak lines of the MINISTER (marked by *) from the congregation. The presentation requires a minimum of two people, including the MINISTER. With only two, the beginning can be modified to have only the HOODED FIGURE present on stage while lines of the NARRATOR are spoken by the CLOWN off-stage.

The CLOWN claims to be Lazarus, the same person raised from the dead by Jesus. Prior to his death recorded in the Bible, Lazarus may well have been quite a serious person. After being raised, however, might his perspective have been greatly tempered by a hilarious sense of humor? Though he seriously reveres the truth of what he proclaims, the hilarity of his proclamation may seem irreverent to those who hear and see him.

Imagine that, after Jesus called him out of the grave, Lazarus never died, but lived on and on through century after century. Adjusting to changing times, Laz’s way of survival may have been to play the part of the fool, associating with other clowns, jesters, and troupes of traveling actors in every period of history since the time of Christ. This would imitate the reputation Jesus had himself, who was said to eat with publicans and sinners, just the type of folk reputed to fool around in theatre!

ZanniTAVANI, stands above all for truth

and the right to laugh

in the foolish face of failure.