The Debate
Reader 1: Jesus died
Reader 2: He died for sinners,
Reader 1: He died for betrayers,
Reader 2: He died for tax collectors
Reader 1: Prostitutes,
Reader 2: The beggars,
Reader 1: The vagabonds,
Reader 2: The hypocrites,
Reader 1: The detached,
Reader 2: The discarded,
Reader 1: And displaced,
Reader 2: He died for the people that no one really wanted,
Reader 1: It was a scandalous relationship.
Reader 2: And Satan sneered,
Reader 3: But what about the demonized outcast who had a reputation for selling her body on the street. Not her. She spent most of her life serving me!
Reader 1: Mary Magdalene is welcome.
Reader 4: Not that traitor who worked for the government and took a big slice of the profit from his own people.
Reader 1: Matthew is welcome.
Reader 3: And how about that rough housing, fish smelling, on and off again denier.
Reader 1: Peter is welcome.
Reader 4: Certainly not that no-good sorry excuse for a person who died with you. He deserved it. He can?t just slip in at the final minute.
Reader 1: He is welcome.
Reader 3: John? Self-righteous, glory mongering, John?
Reader 1: John is welcome.
Reader 4: That Samaritan woman who had more husbands than a Hollywood diva?
Reader 1: She is welcome.
Reader 3: Now hold on a second.
Reader 4: the church of the 21st century is filled with failures.
Reader 3: People who have a sorted past.
Reader 4: They?ve lied, committed adultery,
Reader 3: stolen,
Reader 4: and coveted.
Reader 3: Their eyes, ears, and hearts have trespassed every territory and encroached every law that God has ever set forth.
Reader 4: You can't possibly tell me that these are your children. You can't possibly count on them to be your Body in the 21st century.
Reader 1: Yes.
Reader 3 & 4: How? What are you thinking, Jesus?
Reader 3: The Accuser of the brethren fumed.
All: Silence.
Reader 2: The angels waited for King Jesus to reply. He stood from His throne with unmatched authority and spoke to the leader of the fallen world.
Reader 1: They will be able to relentlessly proclaim the passion of the cross
Reader 2: and the power of grace
Reader 1: because they have not only beheld the glory of it,
Reader 2: not only have they understood it with their minds,
Reader 1: but they will tell of it with reckless abandon
Reader 1 &2: because they have been saved by it.
