Jesus Likens People who Hear His Word to Four Soils

Based on Matt. 13:3-9, 18-23

 POY! SKIT GUIDELINES:

• In a small group, participants might simply read their lines, or glance at their lines to get the idea so they can speak in their own words.
• Most POY! skits require no practice in advance.
• Have any small children play a brief part. Most scripts have an optional part for children, listed last under Participants.
• Most scripts have a Narrator who should read the script beforehand to see how to keep moving the story along.
• It is not necessary to employ costumes and objects, unless the skit recommends such.
• It is not required to have an audience watch the skit. All present may participate.
• Scripture and paraphrases, if any, usually appear in bold.

PARTICIPANTS:

Peter (Also serves as Narrator)
Voice (of Jesus)
Planter
Mimic

Prompter (Optional). Prompter shouts a brief line and Companions repeat it.
Companions (Optional): children and all adults who want to take part. Make sure Companions know who the Prompter is, and that they are to repeat Prompter’s words.

 

SCRIPT:

PeterÂ	Jesus helps people understand the Kingdom of Heaven by likening it to common, earthly things; for example, how one’s heart compares to soil. Listen.
VoiceÂ	A sower goes out to plant grain.
PlanterÂ	Yeah, this sack of seed is heavy. Why bother going way out in the field? I’ll just sow some seeds here by the road. (Pretend to scatter seeds.)
PeterÂ	What do you suppose happens to these seeds sown by the road?
PlanterÂ	Oh, oh! Birds are flying this way!
PeterÂ	Mr. Mimic, show us what those birds look like.
MimicÂ	Twitter! Twitter! (“Fly” flapping your arms like wings.) Here come those crows! I had better get these seeds before those crows gobble them up. (Stoop and pretend to snatch up a few seeds with your hand and pretend to eat them.) Tweet! Tweet!
Prompter & CompanionsÂ	  Tweet! Tweet! (Flap wings and eat seed, as Mimic did.)
PlanterÂ	Oh, no! Those birds are snatching up all my seed before it can take root!    Â
VoiceÂ	When one hears the word of the kingdom and fails to grasp it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.
PlanterÂ	I will not sow this seed by the road again, where those hungry birds hang out. I’ll sow it here among these rocks. They will hide it from the birds. (Pretend to scatter seed.)
PeterÂ	What do you suppose happens to these seeds sown in rocky soil?
PlanterÂ	Oh, I’m sure I’ll get a good crop now!Â
PeterÂ	Well, they spring up immediately, because they have no depth of soil.
PlanterÂ	Oh, oh! The sun is beating down very hot today! It scorches the new plants because they have no root; they are withering away.
MimicÂ	(Stretch arms out like branches of a plant and look up. Then, shield your eyes and “wither”, dropping slowly to the ground). I am drying up!
Prompter & CompanionsÂ	  Drying up! Drying up!
VoiceÂ	The rocky soil illustrates those who hear the word and receives it with joy, but have no firm root in themselves. As soon as affliction or persecution comes because of the word, they fall away. Those who have ears, let them hear.
PlanterÂ	I guess I had better not sow this seed among the rocks again. I will sow it here in the shade of these other plants. They have thorns, but at least they will shield the new plants from the hot sun. (Pretend to scatter seed.)
PeterÂ	What do you suppose happens to these seeds sown among thorns?
PlanterÂ	Now I will get a good crop!
PeterÂ	But the thorns take over and choke the new plants out.
MimicÂ	(Stand up with arms outstretched like branches of a plant.)
PeterÂ	(Sneak behind Mimic – the ‘plant’ – and put your hands around his throat – carefully).
MimicÂ	(Pretend to try to remove the hands, but fail. Then fall.) Â
Peter	Strangled!
Prompter & Companions	  Strangled! Strangled!
Voice	The thorny soil illustrates those who hear the word, but worries of the world and the treachery of wealth choke the word, and they prove unfruitful.
Planter	At least I’m learning how not to farm!  This soil is not rocky, has no weeds and is far from the road where those birds hang out. (Pretend to scatter seed.)
Peter	What do you suppose happens to these seeds sown in good soil?
Planter	They multiply, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.
Mimic	(Stand straight and slowly lift your hands toward heaven, smiling.) Praise God for a great harvest!
Prompter & Companions	  A great harvest! A great harvest! (Do the motions as Mimic did.)
Voice	The good soil illustrates one who hears the word, grasps it and bears fruit thirty, sixty or a hundredfold. He who has ears, let him hear.