Description
Itinerant preacher from Nazareth came to town.
Seeing a man born blind, Jesus brings back the man’s sight. The fact that the man was healed by Jesus has a great impact on the former blind man, but on all others with whom he comes in contact. Trying to defuse the controversy that this miracle created, the leaders in the temple have the blind man taken to court to prove the miracle was a hoax.
A courtroom drama
Cast: 12
- Prosecutor Simon, explosive, overbearing
- Defense Attorney Jonathan, quiet, calculating
- Man Born Blind Stephan, factual
- Peter, disciple, rough edges, says what’s on his mind
- Philip, disciple, factual
- Mother of blind man, afraid she will be in trouble
- Judge Adam, rather “Night Court” old TV show type
- Court Clerk, slow moving, no emotion, like clerk in “Judge Judy” TV show
- Pharisee Legalle, pompous
- Neighbor 1- Barak, factual
- Neighbor 2 – Dinah female gossipy type
- Expert Witness Aaron, pompous
Bible Reference: John 9:1-29
Set:
- courtroom scene or bare stage with chairs, desk, etc.
Sound: wireless mics if available
Song: none
Lighting: standard
SFX: none
Props:
- chairs, tables, office identified
- usual papers and files as would be used in courtroom
Costumes:
- could be traditional but contemporary suggested
Special Instructions:
- Peter is purposely cast as a bit of a loose cannon, not at all careful about what he says. This personality works well in contrast to some of the other characters.
Time: 35
Sample of script:
All except Judge & Clerk are seated
Clerk comes on stage, checks out those who are on stage
Clerk: His Excellency Emperor Tiberius Caesar Augustus’ Supreme Court for the Area of Jerusalem for the hearing of motions and applications is now in session. All persons having anything to do thereat may attend and they shall be heard. All hail Emperor Tiberius.
His Lordship Justice Adam presiding.
All rise!
Judge comes onstage
Clerk: All may be seated.
Case 7369B, Sanhedrin versus The Questionably Blind Man, Stephan
(points to each):
Prosecutor Simon
Defense Attorney Jonathan
Your Honor, all witnesses have been sworn in and we are ready to proceed.
Prosecutor jumps to his feet, moves quickly to the Judge
Prosecutor: Your Honor, this whole matter is a farce and a waste of this court’s time. This man who comes before you never was a blind man, he was simply a lazy beggar who found more joy in sitting at the city gates, begging for money, than to undertake a decent and honorable living.
Judge: Prosecutor Simon, you have not been summoned to speak. Do this court the courtesy of going through usual, time honored protocol, your time to speak will come in due course, I assure you. First we shall go through the preliminaries after which you can . . .
Prosecutor: Your Honor, there are much higher priorities for this court, and for me as well, than to chitchat the frivolous meanderings of some itinerant Nazarene preacher!
Defense: Your Honor, the Prosecutor is apparently unaware that it is not a preacher, itinerant or otherwise, who is on trial. Rather it is Stephan, the man born blind.
Prosecutor: Purported, alleged to having been born blind Your Honor! . . . That he was born blind is a matter we and our witnesses will put to the lie, straightaway Your Honor!
Defense: Surely the Prosecutor knows it will take more than empty words shouted out in a “mightier than thou” tone, and divested of both facts and truth, to convince.
Judge, pounds gavel:
The bench has heard quite enough of your theatrics, both of you, and another outburst and I shall hold the both of you in contempt!
Prosecutor: But Your Honor . . . !
Judge: One more word Prosecutor Simon! . . . Just one more word! . . . You appear to be questioning the will of this court to remove you from these premises! . . . Make my day! . . . Force me to have the Sargent at Arms yonder reacquaint you with the outside air!
Prosecutor: Sorry Your Honor . . .
Judge: Indeed I hope you are sir. . . . But just in case you lose your sorrowful attitude, best you keep your coat on, you will need it if a walk outside is found necessary. . . . Now then . . .
What transpired to cause this . . controversy to first erupt?
Clerk: Well Your Honor it seems that the . . (looks at Prosecutor), . . itinerant preacher, one Jesus ben Joseph, and some of his followers passed by the spot where Stephan, the Blind Man . . .
Prosecutor: The purported, alleged and totally unproven blind man, Your Honor!
Judge: Fine Mr. Prosecutor, the purported, the alleged, the . . . whatever you said, may we please just continue? Clerk if you will give more background.
Clerk: Yes, Your Honor. . . As I said, it seems that the Followers Of The Way, as the ones who follow Jesus ben Joseph about are called, were walking down the street and . . . .
Prosecutor: Your Honor, all of this is conjecture and hearsay! . . No one has been found to corroborate this drivel!
Defense: Pardon me Your Honor but there are in the courtroom today two men who were there and who have offered to testify.
Judge: Would these men please stand and give their names?
Peter & Philip stand
Peter: I am Peter.
Philip: And I am Philip.
Prosecutor: This is completely unacceptable; we have no idea who they are or . . .
Clerk: The two have been examined and sworn in Your Honor.
Judge: Wonderful, then let us hear from them.
Prosecutor: Your Honor, these two are members of The Followers Of The Way, they have no credibility and certainly can’t be found to be impartial.
Judge: Prosecutor Simon! . . . I am sure that if these two say anything untoward we can count on you to bring it to the attention of the court. . . Now then, continue, shall we?
Peter . . .
Philip . . .
Tell us what happened that day.
Peter: Be glad to Adam . .
Clerk: Your Honor.
Peter: Naw, me, I’m just plain old Peter, fisherman from Galilee, you don’t need to be sayin’ uppity things to me.
Clerk: Excuse me I . .
Judge: That’s fine Clerk, go ahead Peter, tell us all what happened.
Peter: I will. . . . See we, the Teacher and the rest of us, we were comin’ into town to stock up on supplies, groceries and all. The number of folks in our group was growin’ day by day. Every time the Master met with sick and hurtin’ folks and he healed them of what ailed them. . .
Prosecutor: Your Honor! . . . Why are these lies and foolishness being allowed in a court of law?
Judge: Overruled, go ahead Peter.
Prosecutor: Your Honor! . . .
Judge: What part of “overruled” don’t you understand Prosecutor? . .. Now sit down!
Peter, go ahead.
Peter: Thanks again Adam.
Clerk starts to object, Judge waves him off
Peter: Anyways, we was walkin’ down the street and this here fella, turns out it was that there fella, (points at Stephan), Stephan over there.
Prosecutor: Your . . .
Judge: Overruled, go ahead Peter.
Prosecutor getting more upset each time
Peter: Anyways, like I said, this fella Stephan he was laying at the side of the street. .
Philip: Actually Stephan was standing at the side of the street but . . .
Prosecutor: Aha! . . . Your Honor, these two supposedly reliable witnesses can’t even agree on whether this person was standing, lying down, likely they don’t even agree that this was the person there that day!
Judge: We can deal with that. . . Philip, Peter, (points to Stephan), was this the man who you saw on the street that day?
Peter: For sure Adam, it was him.
Philip: Yes, it was Stephan, Your Honor.
Judge: OK then Philip, why don’t you carry on and tell us what happened?
Prosecutor starts to object, Judge waves menacingly
Philip: Well, we noticed Stephan having trouble, couldn’t see where he was going, bumping into people and things. Peter here he said to the Teacher . . .
Judge: The Teacher being whom?
Philip: We all called Jesus ben Joseph the Teacher. . .
Peter: Yeh, on account’a he was like teachin’ us the stuff we all needed to know.
Philip: So Peter he asked Jesus who had sinned to cause the blindness. Was it his parents? Or was it Stephan himself who had sinned?
Prosecutor: Your Honor, these, (mocking) unbiased witnesses have just testified about the appalling lack of integrity of this Stephan and his entire family!
Judge, menacing look at Prosecutor:
Continue. . . What was the Teacher’s . . that is, what was this Jesus ben Joseph’s response?
