Here’s a readers’
theatre setting of John 4, where Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the
well. It is set for three voices.
Readers’ Theatre: Jesus and the Samaritan Woman
(John 4: 3-28, 39-42)
Narr: Jesus and his disciples left Judea and
returned to Galilee.
The trip took them through Samaria.
After a time, they came to the
Samaritan village of Sychar,
near the field that Jacob gave to
his son Joseph.
Jacob’s well was there;
and Jesus, tired from the long walk,
sat down beside the well for a rest.
The disciples ventured off to look
for provisions.
It was about noon, and before long
a Samaritan woman came to the well
to draw water.
Jesus said to her,
Jesus: Would you please draw some water for me, and
give me a drink?
Narr: The woman was surprised,
for Jews usually refuse to have
anything to do with Samaritans.
Woman: I can’t
believe that you, a Jew, would even speak to me,
much less ask me for a drink of
water!
Jesus: If you only knew the gift God has for you
and who you are speaking to!
Because if you did, you would ask
me,
and I would give you living water.
Woman: Sir, you sit
by this deep well,
a thirsty man without a bucket in
sight.
Where would you get this living
water?
Do you think you’re greater than our
ancestor Jacob,
who laboured long and hard to dig
and maintain this well
so that he would have clean water to
share with his sons and daughters,
his grandchildren, and his
livestock?
How can you offer better water than
he and his family enjoyed?
Jesus: Drink this water, and your thirst is quenched
only for a moment.
You must return to this well again
and again.
But the water I offer you is
different.
I offer water that quenches thirst
forever.
It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring
within you,
giving life throughout eternity.
You would never be thirsty again.
Woman: Please, sir,
give me this water!
Then I’ll never be thirsty again,
and I won’t have to keep coming here
to get water.
Jesus: Go and get your husband.
Woman: I don’t have
a husband.
Jesus: Technically you are telling the truth.
But you have had five husbands
and are currently living with a man
you are not married to.
Woman: Sir, it is
obvious to me that you are a prophet.
So tell me, why is it that you Jews
insist
that Jerusalem is the only place of worship,
while we Samaritans claim it is here
at Mount Gerizim,
where our ancestors worshiped?”
Jesus: Woman, I tell you that neither is so.
The time is coming when it will no
longer matter
whether you worship the Father on
this mountain or in Jerusalem.
Believe this: a new day is coming—in
fact, it’s already here—
when the importance will not be
placed on the time and place of worship
but on the truthful hearts of
worshipers.
You worship what you don’t know,
while we worship what we do know,
for God’s salvation in coming
through the Jews.
The Father is spirit,
and He is seeking followers whose
worship is sourced in truth
and deeply spiritual as well.
Regardless of whether you are in
Jerusalem or on this mountain,
if you do not seek the Father,
then you do not worship.
Woman: I know the
Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ.
When he comes, he will explain
everything to us.
Jesus: I am the Messiah!
Narr: Just then his disciples came back.
They were shocked to find him
talking to a woman,
but none of them had the nerve to
ask, “What do you want with her?”
or “Why are you talking to her?”
The woman went back to the town,
leaving her water pot behind.
She stopped men and women on the
streets
and told them about what had
happened.
And because of her testimony, the
village of Sychar was transformed—
many Samaritans heard and believed.
They approached Jesus and repeatedly
invited Him to stay with them,
so he lingered there for two days on
their account.
And as he spoke to them, many more came
to believe.
They began their faith journey
because of the testimony of the woman at the well;
but when they heard for themselves,
they were convinced that Jesus was
God’s Anointed –
the Saviour sent to rescue the
entire world.
~ this setting drew inspiration from The
Voice Bible translation of Scripture, copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. http://www.hearthevoice.com/
