NEWSNIGHT
PALESTINE (Adapted from Matthew, Mark & Luke’s Passion Narratives)
Characters
Kirsty Warkman
Caiaphas
Pontius Pilate
Mary of Magdala
But this has been an extraordinary week of disruption in the streets of Jerusalem and scenes that verged on anarchy in the Temple. The authorities finally executed the ring leader of the troubles, one Jesus of Nazareth, this morning.
So lets review what’s happened this week, but before I do let me introduce my guests tonight and we are very privileged to have reflecting with us on these events, firstly the High Priest Caiaphas, who was heavily involved in the whole affair, the Honorable Pontius Pilate, Governor of Judea and a bystander at the events Mistress Mary of Magdala.
All three guests: Good Evening Kirsty
Kirsty: Well of course its all over now, the body of Jesus has been buried, (to Pilate) through I gather you have put a guard on the tomb your Honour?
Pilate: That’s correct Kirsty, at the request of the Sanhedrin, though I don’t know what they are so afraid of, dead men can’t walk.
Kirsty: Well not often anyway. As I was saying the execution is finished just in time for the holiday, but because of the extraordinary impact on Jerusalem, we are going to spend a few moments commenting on the events of the past week. You will remember I’m sure the scenes of wild excitement when Jesus rode into Jerusalem last Sunday, apparently on a Donkey it seems, to fulfill an ancient prophesy that the Messiah would enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey. So we must ask the head of the church in Jerusalem (to Caiaphas) did this Jesus believe he was the Messiah?
Caiaphas: All the evidence points to that.
Kirsty: And what exactly did he do?
Caiaphas: Well eventually after all the shouting died down, what actually happened was that he went into the Temple and caused a scene, It was shocking, everything was in uproar, doves flying, animals running wild, looting, in the end we had to send in the Temple Guards. It was anarchy; this upstart from Nazareth was telling us what to do. We knew then that we had to take it seriously and we arranged to have him arrested.
Kirsty: There are rumours that you had the help of one of Jesus’ supporters, who my sources tell me later hanged himself.
Caiaphas: That is true I’m afraid, though very regrettable, the fellow was quite beside himself, we’d paid him for his information but he came and threw the money back at me shouting that he had ‘sinned against innocent blood’ quite mad poor fellow.
Kirsty: Ah yes, I was coming to that, there are quite substantial rumours that this Jesus was indeed quite innocent and that the Sanhedrin and indeed yourself High Priest are guilty of a serious miscarriage of Justice, (to Pilate) some say that you were not even keen to convict this man your Honour.
Pilate: That’s quite true Kirsty, I could find no real fault in him, certainly not one that justified crucifixion, but I have to keep order, my hands were tied, I’m afraid his own people had decided to kill him and I know you think we Romans are all powerful, but I was facing a riot. What could I do?
Kirsty: Moving on then. Mary? You were I believe a follower of this Jesus, what can you tell us?
Mary: This was judicial murder, the authorities have always wanted to get rid of Jesus, he didn’t stand a chance, we were all against his coming to Jerusalem, we told him what would happen. But he wouldn’t listen, wanted to come to Jerusalem for the Passover. Well he did and now he’s dead. But we won’t forget him; he gave us this wonderful meal, and said we were to eat bread and drink wine to remember him; it was as if he knew what was going to happen.
Then after the supper we went out for a walk, into the garden down the road, Gethsemane it’s called, we stayed there most of the night, that’s where they found him, do you know they arrested him while he was praying!
Kirsty: That’s shocking, what happened?
Mary: Well it was remarkable, he didn’t argue, just held out his hands and let them tie his wrists, didn’t complain or fight, but one of his disciples, Peter I think it was drew his sword, and attacked, managed to cut off the High Priest’s servants ear before he was restrained, then he just fled.
Kirsty: Yes I’d heard about that, how is your servant your Grace?
Caiaphas: Much better thank you, somebody had the presence of mind to stick his ear back on and it seems fine.
Kirsty: I beg your pardon, somebody just stuck the ear back on and its OK, you didn’t have to take him to hospital.
Mary: What he’s not telling you Kirsty is that it was Jesus who did it, of course it was all right, Jesus healed him.
Kirsty: Ah,…… moving on then, Jerusalem is quiet tonight, perhaps too quiet, Jesus, who thought he was the Messiah is dead and his followers scattered and demoralized, so I guess your Grace that’s the end of the story.
Caiaphas: We certainly hope so.
Pilate: Don’t be too sure, one of my best commanders, a Centurion whose been with me all over the Empire, was outside as I came here tonight, he stopped me and said that he was most impressed with the man Jesus, now he’s a most sensible down to earth chap but he said to me he really thought this Jesus was in fact ‘The Son of God’.
Kirsty: Well its seems the events of this week are still rumbling on, but its time for us to go, so thank you to my guests tonight, Governor, Your Grace and Mary of Magdala, its been most interesting and I leave you (to congregation) all to ponder. Who was this man? a troublemaker, a felon, the Messiah or even more incredible the ‘Son of God’, somehow I have a feeling we haven’t heard the end of this story.
Liz Baker - 2018
