Those Who Do Not See

THOSE WHO DO NOT SEE

Written By Warren Sager

CAST OF CHARACTERS:

LEAD ROLES: BLIND MAN, PHARISEE, JESUS.
(The lines of the Pharisee can be divided between 2 or 3 men if you have enough men.)

SMALL ROLES: MEMBER OF THE CROWD, BYSTANDERS (3), CAIAPHAS, MOTHER, FATHER, SCRIBE, ADULTEROUS WOMAN, JOHN, JAMES, JUDAS.
(Many extras can be used as disciples or crowd people…or the disciples can be played by just one, with fewer bystanders and the Pharisee taking Caiaphas’ lines.)

MARKETPLACE SCENE:

(In this scene, there are Pharisees and scribes. The lines that say Pharisee can be divided up among a few or all spoken by one man. As the scene begins, Jesus is sitting with a small crowd gathered around Him as He is obviously teaching them.)

JESUS: If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

(Some scribes and Pharisees enter bringing a woman with them and they begin talking before reaching where Jesus is and outside of His hearing. They may be carrying large stones – not too heavy. While they are talking Jesus continues teaching quietly.)

WOMAN: (As they drag her in… she is screaming) Let me go! You have no right!

PHARISEE: Silence woman! You know you are guilty! We caught you in the act of adultery! You cannot deny it!

SCRIBE: Let’s hear what this teacher, Jesus has to say about her! We will force him to give an answer. He is known to be a friend of sinners, but how can he deny the law?

PHARISEE: I hear that He eats and drinks with tax-collectors and other sinners…even harlots! And He tells them that they are forgiven!

SCRIBE: He likes to forgive people their sins, but how can he go against the Law of Moses?

PHARISEE: If he says, “stone her” then the people will no longer love him. They will think he is cold and merciless. If he forgives her and lets her go, we can accuse him of breaking the Law of Moses! I’m sure he will do the latter. We will then have grounds for our accusation.

SCRIBE: We shall throw her down at his feet! Then we shall ask his opinion. (They take her and throw her on the ground near Jesus. This of course draws the attention of the entire crowd. Jesus stands as the woman falls at his feet.)

PHARISEE: Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now…in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do you say?

JESUS: (Stooping down, He begins to write on the ground with His finger. They are confused at this action and begin to get frustrated that He has not answered them.)

PHARISEE: (After a pause) What do you say, Teacher?

SCRIBE: Yes…what is your answer? Do you think she should be stoned…(continues slowly) as it states in the law? (They look at the ground wondering what he has written.)

JESUS: (Rising back up) He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. (He stoops back down and writes on the ground again. The accusers begin to see what has been written and act very uncomfortable about what he has said and has written. They begin to walk away, beginning with the oldest first. Once they have all exited, Jesus straightens back up) Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?

WOMAN: No one, Lord.

JESUS: Neither do I condemn you; go your way. From now on sin no more. (She starts to walk away slowly, but continues to look back at Jesus. He turns to speak to the crowd and she stops to listen) I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.

(He continues to walk and the crowd follows him, the woman watches from a distance. He begins to walk away and His disciples follow as they walk past a blind man sitting all alone. He hears someone coming and puts out his hand to ask for alms)

BLIND MAN: Alms…alms for the blind. Alms for the blind.

MEMBER OF THE CROWD: Be quiet, blind man! It is the teacher! He is passing your way!

BLIND MAN: The teacher? The man who was speaking before? Who is He?

MEMBER OF THE CROWD: You don’t know? It is Jesus, the Nazarene. He has been teaching us and now is going. Do not beg just now. He is not a wealthy man… He has nothing to give you.

BLIND MAN: He is Jesus….how I would love to meet Him.

MEMBER OF THE CROWD: (To Jesus and the disciples as they are approaching) He is blind. He has been that way since his birth. His father brings him here every day so that he can beg. I am sorry if he is a nuisance.

JOHN: Not at all. I think that Jesus will want to speak to him. He has much to offer this man.

JAMES: Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?

JESUS: It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world. (He squats down and pretends to spit on the ground and then begins to make clay from the spittle. When he has some clay he approaches the blind man, who is wondering what is about to happen, turning his head from side to side, clearly listening intently. Jesus rubs the clay –or pretends to- on his eyes) Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.

BLIND MAN: (He reaches out for help and someone takes his arm and helps him cross the stage to a small pool –or exits the stage and then returns if there is no pool- after washing the clay from his eyes) I can see! I can see! I am healed! (The member of the crowd who spoke before sees him and runs offstage. The blind man leaps for joy and continues to shout) I can see! I can see!

BYSTANDER: Isn’t he the one who used to sit and beg?

SECOND BYSTANDER: This is he!

THIRD BYSTANDER: No…he is not the one. He just looks like him.

SECOND BYSTANDER: Are you sure? I think he is the same one.

THIRD BYSTANDER: It cannot be the same one!

BLIND MAN: No! I am the one! I am the blind beggar! Or… I was!

SECOND BYSTANDER: Yes… it is he! He is the one!

BYSTANDER: If you are the blind man who used to sit and beg…how then were your eyes opened?

BLIND MAN: The man who is called Jesus was teaching nearby where I was sitting. He came to me and made clay from the ground, and he placed it on my eyes. He anointed my eyes… with the clay! And He said to me, “go to Siloam and wash”; so I went away and washed, and I received sight. As soon as the clay was washed away, I could see! I have been blind from birth! I have never seen anything before! The blue sky, the buildings, and the colors! You people! You are beautiful! You are all beautiful!
(The crowd begins to laugh with joy at his enthusiasm….some are saying to each other ‘it is a miracle!’)

BYSTANDER: Where is this man? Where is the healer?
(A small crowd has gathered around the blind man leaving Jesus and the disciples alone across the stage. Now Caiaphas and some Pharisees have entered and are looking on to this scene. This could be the same Pharisees who have now returned, or they could be different ones. One of them can do all the talking, or divide the lines among them)

BLIND MAN: I don’t know. I have never seen Him, so I don’t know which one He is. I want to know who He is… so I can thank Him for giving me my sight.

PHARISEE: What is happening? What is this all about?

BYSTANDER: This man seems to be the blind beggar who always sat over there. He says that the teacher, Jesus touched him and gave him his sight.

PHARISEE: Are you saying that you were blind and now you can see? How did this happen to you? How did you receive your sight?

BLIND MAN: The man applied clay to my eyes. I washed the clay off and now I can see! It is a miracle! The man must be from God!

PHARISEE: This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath! It is wrong to do such things on the Sabbath!

THIRD BYSTANDER: That’s right! A teacher would not break the Sabbath!

BYSTANDER: But it is a miracle!

SECOND BYSTANDER: How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?

BYSTANDER: Why do you call Him a sinner?

SECOND BYSTANDER: He must be a sinner if He breaks the Sabbath.

PHARISEE: You are correct!

BYSTANDER: But a sinner cannot perform such deeds! (Everyone begins to talk at once with their opinions) Wait! Let’s hear from the man who was healed! What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?

BLIND MAN: (He is amazed at the commotion and finds himself speechless but finally he thinks about it) He must be a prophet.

PHARISEE: A prophet, indeed! Prove that you were once blind! How do we know that you don’t pretend?

BLIND MAN: But haven’t you seen me? I sit and beg in the marketplace every day. My father brings me each morning…

PHARISEE: People beg here all the time! I cannot be expected to remember their faces!

MEMBER OF THE CROWD: Here are his parents! I found his parents!
(The mother and father are brought in and they stop and walk slowly toward their son looking intently at him and acting very overcome with emotion and wonder. The son turns slowly to see who his parents might be. He sees them and begins to study their faces. The mother approaches him and takes his face in her hands and looks into his eyes.)

MOTHER: You can see me!

BLIND MAN: Yes, Mother! I can see you! I know your voice…now I see your face! And Father?

FATHER: Yes… my son… it is I.

BLIND MAN: It IS you! (They laugh and cry and embrace one another)

CAIAPHAS: (A pause then…breaking up their special moment) Is this your son?

PARENTS: Yes! It is him!

CAIAPHAS: And he was born blind?

MOTHER: Yes.

CAIAPHAS: Then how does he now see?

MOTHER: I don’t know.

FATHER: He is our son…and he was blind from his birth… but we do not know what has happened to him… we do not know how he sees!

MOTHER: He has been healed…but we do not know how! An obvious miracle from God!

MEMBER OF THE CROWD: (Standing behind them he speaks to them only) Be careful what you say! It was Jesus who healed your son! But you must not say that He is the Christ! If you confess that the He is The Christ, you will be put out of the synagogue!

FATHER: (Nervously turns back to the Pharisee) You wish to know how it is that he can see? Ask him yourself! He is of age! He can speak for himself!

MOTHER: Yes… ask him yourself. Let him speak for himself! I want to hear it, also!

PHARISEE: (Grabs the former blind man and looks him in the face) Give glory to God!

BLIND MAN: I do! I do give glory to God! But it was Jesus…

PHARISEE: The man Jesus who you refer to is a sinner! We know that he is! Give all the glory to God! God healed you, not this sinner!

BLIND MAN: I do not know whether He is a sinner or not. One thing I do know, however… is that whereas I was blind before…now I see!

PHARISEE: What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?

BLIND MAN: I told you already, and you did not listen; why do you want to hear it again? You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?

PHARISEE: (Angered) What?!! Disciples!? Do not speak such things! You are His disciple, but we are the disciples of Moses!

PHARISEE: We know that God has spoken to Moses; but as for this man, we do not know where He is from!

BLIND MAN: Well, here is an amazing thing…that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.

CAIAPHAS: You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us? Away from us! Away from the synagogue! We are putting you out! Away with you!

MOTHER: Oh no! Please! He meant no harm!
(The former blind man walks away confused and dejected and perhaps a bit angry, then he looks at his hands and realizes that he has his sight and the joy returns to him. The member of the crowd runs back to the disciples to report the news)

MEMBER OF THE CROWD: My Lords! (Sirs!) I beg of you…listen! The man who was just healed… the Pharisees have put him out! They have put him out of the synagogue!

DISCIPLE: (Perhaps Judas) What is that to us?

JESUS: (Stops the conversation and starts to walk toward the former blind man. The man sees him and begins to study him. At this the crowd sees them coming together and begins to watch intently, including the Pharisees – gathering closer to them and surrounding them leaving them together center stage) Do you believe in the Son of
Man?

BLIND MAN: And who is He, Lord that I may believe in Him?

JESUS: You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.

BLIND MAN: (Realizing that this is Jesus who healed him, he drops to his knees in worship) Lord, I believe.

JESUS: For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see; and that those who see may become blind.

PHARISEE: What are you saying? Are you trying to say that we are the blind ones?

PHARISEE: We are not blind too,…..are we?

JESUS: If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains. Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. If anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, and kill and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.

(Jesus raises the former blind man to his feet and hugs him and is talking with him silently as they all exit together.)

THE END

Copyright 2006 Warren Sager