BELIEVING THOMAS

Written by Warren Sager

(Lights come up on the upper room and there is a knock at the door.  Andrew answers and Thomas enters walking rather quickly…he holds some food in his arms that he sets on the table)

ANDREW:  Thomas!  Where have you been?  We have been looking all over for you!

THOMAS:  Why, what is the matter?

SIMON THE ZEALOT:  It’s Jesus!  He is alive!

THOMAS:  What?  Have you gone mad?  We all watched Him die!

ANDREW:  Mary Magdalene saw Him and he spoke to her.  Then He appeared to us here in the upper room and spoke to us!

SIMON THE ZEALOT:  The door was closed and bolted, but suddenly, there He was…just standing in the midst of us!

THOMAS:  You are hallucinating!   That cannot be possible!

ANDREW:  Thomas, we saw him with our own eyes!

THOMAS:  Well, I did not see him!  You can say all you want…it cannot possibly be true.

ANDREW:  John and Peter saw the empty tomb and Mary and some of the other women saw angels in bright clothes, and then we all saw Jesus!  Thomas, believe us!  We would not make up such a story.

THOMAS:  You sound sincere.  You obviously saw something.  A ghost or a vision of some kind…I don’t know…

SIMON THE ZEALOT:  A ghost?!  No Thomas, we have seen the Lord!

THOMAS:  You said the door was bolted!  How could He have appeared to you?  I tell you, unless I shall see in His hands the imprint of the nails and put my finger into the place of the nails and put my hand into His side, I will not believe!  (He exits)

SIMON THE ZEALOT:  That Didymus!  How can he not believe us?  What is it going to take to convince him?

ANDREW:  Remember, Simon, we did not all believe Mary Magdalene and Peter at first, either.  It wasn’t until we actually saw Him for ourselves.

SIMON THE ZEALOT:  You are right.  I was one of them who doubted at first.  I wanted to believe it, but until I saw Him standing there…well, maybe that is what will convince Thomas.  Yet…there were so many of us who witnessed it!  A ghost, indeed!  Do ghosts eat fish?

ANDREW:  Simon, I was there, you don’t have to convince me.  Save that for Thomas.  (They exit)


(Lights go down and come back up in same room to show passing of time.  Now Thomas is present with the other disciples.)

PHILIP:  How long has it been now?  

ANDREW:  Eight days.  No one has seen Him since He was last here in this room.

PHILIP:  Well, as far as we know.  I suppose we would hear about it.

MATTHEW:  I wonder if we will see Him again.

JOHN:  (He is sitting at a table writing) He said that He was going to ascend to the Father.  Perhaps He has done that.

MATTHEW:  John, what are you writing?

JOHN:  I’m just trying to recall things that Jesus said to us.  He told us so much and gave many instructions.  We need to remember them.

MATTHEW:  Oh that is a very good idea.  I would love to hear it all again.

PETER:  I don’t see any purpose in just sitting here and doing nothing.  We should be accomplishing something!

NATHANAEL:  Is it safe for us to go back out into the world?  We may need to hide out a little bit longer.

PETER:  There have been no signs that any one has been looking for us.  After eight days of silence, I don’t feel as afraid as I was.  I’m restless now, and I feel like going fishing.

ANDREW:  If you want to go, Peter, I will go with you.  I’m sure we could persuade others to come along.

JAMES:  I will go with you.  I’m not afraid to go.  How about it, Brother John?

JOHN:  (Deep in thought) What?  Oh…fishing…sure, I’ll go.  We need the exercise.

PHILIP:   A little fish on the table wouldn’t hurt, either.  We cannot expect the women to supply us with all of our food all of the time.

JAMES THE LESS:  But it is certainly a blessing when they bring it!

THADDEUS:  Your mother is a good cook, James.  It is always a blessing when she comes!

JAMES THE LESS:  All of the women are a blessing.  They have been a very good and necessary support for us.  I realize that they were doing it for The Master, but they still come, even though He is gone.

THADDEUS:  If He is gone.  I mean, we have seen Him.  We know that He is alive.  Is He gone, or not?  What do you think, John?

JOHN:  It’s hard to say, Thaddeus.  I feel that He would appear to us again and give us instructions.  There is assuredly something very important that He would have us to do.

MATTHEW:  Yet perhaps He has already told us, and we just can’t remember what it is.  What if He is done making appearances?

JOHN:  It seems that His purpose in appearing to us was to prove to us that He has risen, to bring us hope and strength and turn our sorrow to joy.  He’s accomplished that.  I really want Him to appear again.

THADDEUS:   He appeared to Mary, the other women, our friends, Peter and then to all of us.  We have all seen him but Thomas.

THOMAS:  That’s enough.  I don’t want to hear anymore about it!  That is all you men talk about, and I told you that I don’t believe you!    (Jesus has appeared again behind everyone so the audience cannot see)

JESUS:  Peace be with you.  (Everyone divides again and leaves him in center stage) Thomas… (He crosses down to center and calls Thomas over to him – they face each other)  Reach here your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing.  

THOMAS:  (dropping to his knees) My Lord and my God!  

JESUS:  Because you have seen Me, have you believed?  Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.  (Lights)

THE END

Copyright 2003 Warren Sager