‘An Unexpected Evening’ (John 17 + disciples talking @ the table) [read by the ‘Lion’ Sunday School Class (grades 6+) on 3/29/2018 @ St Olaf]

Maundy Thursday Skit (John 13)
[Narrator, Peter, James, John]
[narrator] Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him.
[James] Psst. Peter! Does Jesus seem a little pre-occupied to you?
[Peter] He seems fine. He always gets extra serious during the High Holidays.
[John] I don’t know, that forehead furrow looks deeper than usual tonight. I think something is up.
[James] Judas is acting a little squirrely, too. Maybe there is a problem with the taxes.
[Peter] Don’t let Matthew hear you say that. You know he still gets a little touchy about tax-collector comments.
[John] Hush, we’re getting the ‘mom look’ from Mary. I think it’s time for supper.
[narrator] And during supper 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him.
[James] I told you He was acting weird! What’s up with this?! We have slaves to wash our feet. This is so humiliating. What should we do?
[Peter] Well, I for one am not going to let Him demean Himself like this. This is shameful. He is our teacher, not out servant! We should be serving Him.
[John] And just how do you plan to stop Him?
[Peter] I’ll reason with Him. Make Him see the folly of His actions.
[James] (mumbling) Yeah, you do that. That’s always worked so well for you in the past
[James & John] Not.
[narrator] 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
[Peter] “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
[narrator] 7 Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him,
[Peter] “You will never wash my feet.”
[narrator] Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him,
[Peter] “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”
[narrator] 10 Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
[John] That went well.
[James] As well as it usually does with Peter. Who do you think Jesus is talking about?
[John] No clue, but it’s not me.
[James] Me either.
[Peter] Well, don’t look at me. I’m taking that little dialogue to mean only my feet are dirty. I wonder who it is.
[James] I can’t imagine it being any of us. I mean, we all make a mess occasionally, but we all bathe.
[Peter] I think He was really talking about sin, not physical dirt. He meant bathe metaphorically, not literally.
[John] Metaphorically or literally, we all try our best. We’ve been together for three years now. If one of us were leaving, I think we’d know it by now.
[Peter] I have a feeling this may be worse than leaving – or not bathing. Something is definitely not right. I’m starting to get worried.
[narrator] 12 After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16 Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. 18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But it is to fulfill the scripture, ‘The one who ate my bread[e] has lifted his heel against me.’ 19 I tell you this now, before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am he. 20 Very truly, I tell you, whoever receives one whom I send receives me; and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.”
[John] OK, now we’re supposed to wash each other’s feet?
[James] Apparently. What exactly do you think He means?
[John] Take care of each other. Don’t try to lord things over each other. Treat one another with love and respect. Tend to one another’s needs. Put others ahead of ourselves.
[James] Basically, do the opposite of what our mother keeps telling us to do?
[John] Pretty much. That coincides with the lecture we got earlier after she asked Jesus to grant us to superior status over the other disciples.
[Peter] Jesus wants us to treat one another like He treats us. When we interact with people, we are showing them the kind of person He is. We represent Him. Our words and deeds reflect back on Him.
[John] Like ambassadors. People learn who Jesus is and what He teaches by watching and listening to us.
[James] That makes sense. He wants us to follow His example instead of the world’s.
[narrator] 21 After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking.
[James] Ok, I knew something was upsetting Him. Something is definitely going on with Jesus. This is way beyond His usual ‘High Holiday’ somber mood. I don’t think I have ever seen Him this upset.
[Peter] I knew it was worse than someone leaving! What do you think He means by ‘betray Him’?
[John] I’m not sure, but it can’t be good. I agree with James, this is the most upset I have ever seen Him. And it’s a different kind of upset.
[James] exactly, I mean, we’ve seen Him irritated at the Temple moneychangers, frustrated with us, and even perturbed by the incessant tricks and accusations of the Scribes and Pharisees, but this is different. He seems almost resigned and pensive.
[Peter] I have a bad feeling about this. We better not let Him out of our sight. He might need our protection.
[James] On one hand, I thoroughly agree with you, on the other hand…
[John] the Messiah is fully capable of protecting Himself?
[James] Yeah. Don’t you think God would protect Him better than we ever could? Don’t you think God would stop anyone from hurting His Son long before we realized He was even in danger?
[Peter] You’re right, but I would still feel better if we all stuck close. Even if you two have just reminded me how inconsequential I am.
[John] Sorry. Back to the betrayal. I still cannot imagine any of us ever betraying Jesus. We all love Him. We gave up everything to follow Him. I don’t think you could find a more loyal group of disciples in all Judea.
[Peter] I agree, but apparently we aren’t all as loyal as we think we are. I can’t imagine who it could be either. For all I know, it could be one of you. John, ask Him.
[John] Ask Him what?
[Peter] Ask Him who is going to betray Him.
[John] Why don’t you ask Him?
[Peter] I already got a lecture tonight with the foot washing thing. You are less likely to put your foot in your mouth.
[John] Good point – you do seem to have an amazing talent for that.
[Peter] Just ask Him!
23 One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him; 24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him,
[John] “Lord, who is it?”
[narrator] 26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. 27 After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “Do quickly what you are going to do.” 28 Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival”; or, that he should give something to the poor. 30 So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.
[Peter] That didn’t help. We all ate the bread. We don’t know anymore than we did before. This is getting frustrating.
[John] Hmm, I wonder what Jesus wants Judas to do? Maybe we are finally moving on from this whole betrayal issue and doing some more concrete ministry.
[James] Hey! Maybe it is a metaphorical betrayal instead of a literal one.
[Peter] ‘metaphorical betrayal’?! What exactly is that supposed to be?
[James] Hey, you got to have a metaphorical bath, I can have a metaphorical betrayal.
[John] Seriously? Will you two quit bickering? Jesus is obviously still troubled. I can’t hear what He is saying over the two of you.
[James] Where is Judas going?! Talk about eat and run. He didn’t even bother to tell us where he was going or when he would be back. How rude.
[Peter] Maybe we need to travel again after supper & he went to load up supplies on the donkey.
[John] The wine looks like it is getting low, maybe Judas went for more.
[James] Don’t you remember the wedding at Cana? We are eating supper with the guy who turned water into wine. I doubt Jesus sent Judas to buy more wine.
[John] Maybe Judas went to get more water then.
[Peter] OK, we are all a little on edge tonight. Let’s think about this. Judas has the common purse. It is the Passover. Lamb is not cheap. Jesus probably sent Judas to buy food for the poor. He would want them to be able to celebrate the Passover.
[James] Good point. That’s more logical than getting us more wine or water.
[narrator] 31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him,[j] God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’
[James] Well that puts a crimp in Peter’s ‘keep a close eye on Him’ plan. How are we supposed to keep an eye on Him if we can’t go where he is going?
[John] Metaphorical going? (chuckle)
[Peter] Not funny. We can’t let Him wander off by Himself. The chief priests and the Pharisees want to arrest Him. You know what happened to John the Baptizer.
[John] Are you looking for another lecture? Go ahead and tell Jesus He can’t go off by Himself. See how that goes.
[James] Like most of Peter’s conversations with Jesus?
[John] That would be my guess.
[Peter] I don’t care. I am going to follow Him whether He likes it or not. And you two are going with me.
[John] We are? None of us slept well last night. If Jesus wants time alone, I say we let Him and take naps instead. He’s a grown man. We should respect His wishes.
[Peter] We are going with Him. No matter what, we are going with Him.
[narrator] 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
[James] Peter, if you really loved us, you’d let us take a nap. (chuckle)
[Peter] I do love you. You can sleep later. This is more important. How would you feel if something were to happen to Him while you were taking a nap? Sometimes loving someone means helping them do what is right instead of letting them fall into temptation. We are going with Him. Nothing can stop us.
[James] So…no nap?
[John] No nap. As much as it pains me to say this, Peter is right. It’s really not safe for any of us to go off alone. Let’s go. Jesus is starting to get his ‘I’m going off by myself to pray’ look.