Whatever Happened To . . . . . . . The Good Samartian

Narr	Luke 10, beginning to read a verse 25.  (Read to v 29)  In reply, Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan.  Now, you all know the parable of the Good Samaritan.  But parables are self contained stories, and they tell us nothing of what happened to the characters before or after the event.  Take our hero, the Samaritan himself.  If the story had actually happened, what do you think he would have found on arriving home.

(Sam walks across stage pulling 'donkey'.  There is a board SR.  He knocks on it.  Wife appears from behind it.)

Wife	There you are!  Where have you been?  You were supposed to be home hours ago!
Sam	I'm sorry but I..
Wife	I don't care!  I've been slaving over a hot fire to get you a nice dinner and what do you repay me with?
Sam	Well I was...
Wife	You can't even come up with a decent excuse.  Well I've had enough!  Your dinner's in the camel, and your case is packed, (throws bag at him) so you can just walk straight back out that door and never come back.  I'm through with you!!

(She storms off, back behind board)

Sam	(To audience)  I get this every time I get back late.

(Wife reappears)

Wife	Are you still here?
Sam	Have you quite finished?
Wife	(deflated)  Yes.  But I would like to know what you've been up to.  For a start, why have you got blood on your sleeves?
Sam	Well I was on my way home, along the Jericho road, when I came across this guy, lying in the middle of the road.  He'd obviously been attacked or something and he was badly injured so I..
Wife 	So you cleaned him up did you.  How thoughtless can you get!
Sam	What do you mean?  The man was dying.
Wife	Yes but you cleaned him up using that lovely new tunic I knitted you for your birthday!  That's pure goat hair that is.  Have you any idea how hard it is to get blood out of goat hair.
Sam	Sorry, but that was all I had.
Wife	Even so, that couldn't have held you up for three hours.
Sam	Well, I couldn't just leave him there could I.  He needed food, dressing for his wounds and a proper bed, and since I had Dobbin with me I..
Wife	You put him on poor Dobbin!  You heartless man.  You know Dobbin has a bad back and soft feet.  (She examines the 'donkey')  Look, his feet are all swollen.  He won't want to work for days now.
Sam	At least I was able to get the man to an inn to recover.

Wife	That was nice, turning up at an inn with a dying man and saying, "Here look after this will you."
Sam	Not at all, I paid for all the expenses then and there.
Wife	YOU WHAT!?!  You spent our money without asking me!?!  This really is the last straw.  How much did you pay him?
Sam	Two silver coins.
Wife	But that's over two months wages.  How am I going to be able to afford to get my hair done if you go throwing that kind of money around?
Sam	I happen to think that saving someone's life is more important than a new hairdo.
Wife	Oh really.  Was he someone important then?  Someone who might be able to repay us greatly for our services?
Sam	No.  I think he was just some Jew on the way to...
Wife	A JEW!!!  I mean, one of them!!  The enemy?!  What on earth were you thinking?
Sam	Now just you listen a minute.  When I found this man, all I saw was someone in need.  The opportunity was there for me to help so I helped.  The little consequences don't matter.  The blood will wash out in the end.  Dobbin's feet will heal.  We can earn some more money.  But there was only one chance to help that man, and if I had missed it, I could never bring that man back.
Wife	But he was just a Jew.  It wouldn't have mattered.
Sam	On the contrary, All people are important, whether we know them or not, whether we like them or not.
Wife	Maybe you're right.  I'm sorry.  Come on inside, I'll help you unpack that bag.

	The End

Copyright Notice

1. This script is published by permission of David Burleigh of “God in the Spotlight”.

2. The term "script" refers to the text of this document in its entirety, including this copyright notice.

3. This script may be performed free of charge in a Christian context, provided that no entrance fee is charged and that the copyright and authorship of “God in the Spotlight” are acknowledged in any programme or credits (written or otherwise). 

4. Reasonable alterations may be made for a performance of this script (excluding this copyright notice) as long as its message is unchanged and Ark is notified of any significant modifications. Ark undertakes to inform the authors of these modifications.

5. Permission is given to make copies of this script for rehearsals either in the script's present form or after the modifications allowed under paragraph 4.

6. Copies of the original unmodified script may also be distributed. Copies are not to be sold for profit in any medium.