Here’s
a readers’ theatre setting of the wonderful story in John 9: 1-41, where Jesus
heals the blind man, and the Pharisees try to get their head around what
happened. It utilizes the New Living Translation, and is set for four voices.
Readers’ Theatre: John 9: 1-41
One: As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man
who had been blind from birth.
“Rabbi,” his disciples asked him,
“why was this man born blind?
Was it because of his own sins or
his parents’ sins?”
Two: It was not because of his sins or his
parents’ sins.
This happened so the power of God
could be seen in him.
We must quickly carry out the tasks
assigned us by the one who sent us.
The night is coming, and then no one
can work.
But while I am here in the world, I
am the light of the world.
One: Then he spit on the ground,
made mud with the saliva,
and spread the mud over the blind
man’s eyes.
Two: Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam.
One: So the man went and washed and came back
seeing!
His neighbors and others who knew
him as a blind beggar asked each other,
“Isn’t this the man who used to sit
and beg?”
Some said he was, and others said,
“No, he just looks like him!”
But the beggar kept saying,
Three: Yes, I am the same one!
One: They asked, “Who healed you? What
happened?”
Three: The man they call Jesus made mud
and spread it over my eyes and told
me,
‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash
yourself.’
So I went and washed, and now I can
see!
One: “Where is he now?” they asked.
Three: I don’t know.
One: Then they took the man who had been blind
to the Pharisees,
because it was on the Sabbath that
Jesus had made the mud and healed him.
The Pharisees asked the man all
about it.
So he told them,
Three: He put the mud over my eyes,
and when I washed it away, I could
see!
One: Some of the Pharisees said,
Four: This man Jesus is not from God, for he is
working on the Sabbath.
One: Others said, “But how could an ordinary
sinner do such miraculous signs?”
So there was a deep division of
opinion among them.
Then the Pharisees again questioned
the man who had been blind
and demanded,
Four: What’s your opinion about this man who
healed you?
Three: I think he must be a prophet.
One: The Jewish leaders still refused to believe
the man had been blind
and could now see,
so they called in his parents.
They asked them,
Four: “Is this your son?
Was he born blind? If so, how can he
now see?”
One: His parents replied,
“We know this is our son and that he
was born blind,
but we don’t know how he can see or
who healed him.
Ask him. He is old enough to speak
for himself.”
His parents said this because they
were afraid of the Jewish leaders,
who had announced that anyone saying
Jesus was the Messiah
would be expelled from the
synagogue.
That’s why they said, “He is old
enough. Ask him.”
So for the second time
they called in the man who had been
blind and told him,
Four: God should get the glory for this,
because we know this man Jesus is a
sinner.
Three: I don’t know whether he is a sinner.
But I know this:
I was blind, and now I can see!
Four: But what did he do? How did he heal you?
Three: Look! I
told you once. Didn’t you listen?
Why do you want to hear it again?
Do you want to become his disciples,
too?
One: Then they cursed him and said,
Four: You are his disciple, but we are disciples
of Moses!
We know God spoke to Moses,
but we don’t even know where this
man comes from.”
Three: Why, that’s very strange!
He healed my eyes,
and yet you don’t know where he
comes from?
We know that God doesn’t listen to
sinners,
but he is ready to hear those who
worship him and do his will.
Ever since the world began,
no one has been able to open the
eyes of someone born blind.
If this man were not from God, he
couldn’t have done it.
Four: You were born a total sinner!
Are you trying to teach us?
One: And they threw him out of the synagogue.
When Jesus heard what had happened,
he found the man and asked,
Two: Do you believe in the Son of Man?
Three: Who is he, sir?
I want to believe in him.
Two: You have seen him, and he is speaking to
you!
Three: Yes, Lord, I believe!
One: And he worshiped Jesus.
Two: I entered this world to render judgment—
to give sight to the blind
and to show those who think they see that
they are blind.
One: Some Pharisees who were standing nearby
heard him and asked,
Four: Are you saying we’re blind?
Two: If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty.
But you remain guilty because you
claim you can see.
