The Best Present in the World

Cast : Man, Wife, Evangelist.

(Scene is living room of an average family, the week before Christmas. Man is fiddling with Christmas lights, Wife is decorating tree or wrapping presents.  Radio noises in background.)

Man	(Triumphantly)  Ah Ha!  At last I've found the faulty bulb!
Wife	Well done!  Look can you give me a hand with this tinsel?
Man	Sure, just a minute. (Man tries to walk over, trips over lights, crashes into Christmas tree etc)
Wife	Oh No!  Look what you've done!  You've broken Auntie Ethel's new teapot
Dad	Well it can't have been that good, I hardly felt it break.
Wife	I'm sorry but times are hard and I've had to cut back a bit on presents.
Man	I hope that doesn't mean that I'll only be getting one pair of socks this year instead of two.
Wife	They were very good quality socks, and a lot of loving thought went into choosing them.  Not like that '24 carat gold plated' bracelet you gave me last Christmas.
Man	What about it?  I searched through a lot of catalogues to find that!
Wife	The 'gold plate' was so thin, it came of when I washed my hands!  (Lottery numbers being announced in the background)
Man	Well I..I..
Wife	Just a minute.  What was that again  (Turns up radio)
Man	What?  (Lottery numbers read again)
Wife	(Screams loudly, jumps around, hugs man etc)  We've won!  We've won!  We've won the jackpot!!
Man	(Can't quite believe it)  You can't be serious.  Where's that ticket?  (He examines ticket, excitement growing on his face.)
Radio	And since there is only one jackpot winner,  they will receive the entire jackpot fund of 20 million pounds!  (Man and Wife Turn to the audience, scream in unison, then start dancing around etc.)
Wife	(Suddenly Stops)  You know what this means...
Man	Of course.  We’re rich.  Rich!  RICH!!
Wife	No, no.  Apart from that.
Man	What is there apart from that?
Wife	Christmas Presents!  We can get anything and everything we ever wanted.
Man	That’s right!  Forget the gold bracelet.  This Christmas I’ll give you a 24 carat gold Ferrari!
Wife	And I’ll buy you an entire sock shop, let alone the socks!  (knock at door)  Who can that be?
Man	Probably the press, come to make us rich and famous.
Wife	(Going to door)  Well, famous.  We’re already rich!  (Opens door to Evangelist, who goes to speak.  Wife sees it’s not the press and starts to close the door) Sorry we don’t want any...(Stops and opens the door again)  Whatever it is you’re selling, we’ll have five!
Evan	No, No. I’m from the local church.  Money can’t buy what I’ve got to offer.
Man	(Coming to door)  I doubt it.  We’ve just won the lottery so we can by anything we like.  (He and wife start dancing round again)

Evan	(Rather nervous)  Can money buy you eternal life?
Wife	Who cares about that when we can have the High Life!
Evan	(Very nervous)  What about love?  Can money buy you love?
Man	Stop trying to dampen the celebrations OK.  
Evan	(With a little more confidence)  Of course.  I suppose you’re looking forward to the best Christmas ever!
Wife	You bet!  We’re going to have the biggest Christmas tree and the brightest decorations, and the best presents in the world.
Evan	Really, who from?
Man	No, silly.  We’re going to buy the best present in the world!
Evan	But you can’t buy it.  It’s freely given.
Wife	Eh?  Are talking about the same thing?  
Evan	I think so.  The most precious, most important, most valuable present ever.  It’s a free gift from God to whoever will accept it!
Man	I think this guy’s off his head.  Look my friend,  If we wanted a sermon, we could pay a bishop to give it!
Wife	Hang on.  If the present is that priceless, it might be worth hearing about.	
Evan	Look, here (opens Bible)  John 3 v 16.  For God.....eternal life.  God’s son is Jesus.
Wife	Jesus?  When did this happen?
Evan	Well, two weeks today it will have been about 2000 years ago.
M&W	Aaahhh!

- END -

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