Jesus Told Peter How Much to Forgive, and Showed him

Based on Matthew 18; John 18
 

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)
King
Rich slave
Poor slave

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

 SCRIPT:

PeterÂ	I’m Peter, and I’ll never forget that tearful night and how I yearned for Jesus’ to forgive me. What made me see how much I needed forgiveness? Not a scolding by a stern judge. Not a sermon. Not Scripture. It wasn’t even words. In fact, it wasn’t even human. Oh! I shudder to say it! It was a bird! A stupid bird! I still hear it! Three times that rooster taunted me, crowing, Cock-a-doodle-doo!
Prompter & CompanionsÂ	Cock-a-doodle-doo! Cock-a-doodle-doo! Cock-a-doodle-doo!
PeterÂ	After Jesus rose from the dead, he let me know that He had forgiven me. I had given up all hope and returned to my fishing boat. When we rowed to shore, there He was waiting for me. There was no rebuke; He did not shame me. I had denied Him three times. Three times! There on the shore of Galilee, three times, He simply said, “Feed my sheep.” Three times! Oh, how those blessed, reassuring words of assurance echo in my soul! I still hear Him saying it. Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep.Â
Prompter & CompanionsÂ	Feed my sheep! Feed my sheep!
PeterÂ	I recall when Jesus told us how to forgive. He told a parable about a poor slave and a rich slave. Under Roman rule, some slaves hold highly responsible positions and become wealthy. Well, I asked Jesus, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
VoiceÂ	Not  up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.
KingÂ	Slave, you have grown wealthy in my service. Yet my accountant says you owe me 10,000 talents of money. I’m settling your overdue account. Pay me.
Rich slaveÂ	But I do not have the means to repay you, master. Â
KingÂ	Very well. You will be to be sold, along with your wife, children, and all that you own, and repayment will be made. Now stop groveling face down on the floor and go!
Rich slaveÂ	Mercy! Have patience with me and I will repay you everything. Mercy!
Prompter & Companions Â	Mercy! Mercy! Mercy!
KingÂ	Well, I do feel a bit of compassion for you. All right, I release you and forgive your debt. Â
VoiceÂ	But that slave went out and found a fellow slave who owed him a mere hundred denarii, a pittance, and he seized him and began to choke him.Â
Rich slaveÂ	Pay back what you owe. Pay me! Pay me!
Prompter & CompanionsÂ	Pay me! Pay me! Pay me!Â
Poor slaveÂ	Mercy! Have patience with me and I will repay you.Â
Rich slaveÂ	Get up off the ground and pay me! I’m out of patience. And I don’t feel like showing mercy.
VoiceÂ	The wealthy slave had the poor slave thrown into prison, until he should pay back all that he owed. When his fellow slaves heard what had happened, they were deeply grieved, and reported it to the king.
Peter    Â	The king rose, his face contorted with anger. He paced a moment, and shouted.
KingÂ	Captain, tell your soldiers to summon that wicked slave.Â
PeterÂ	 The wicked slave looked quite pleased with himself when they brought him before the king. But that did not last long.
KingÂ	You wicked hypocrite! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?
VoiceÂ	And his master, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.
PeterÂ	Oh, what precious forgiveness!
Prompter & CompanionsÂ	Precious forgiveness! Precious forgiveness!

 

DISCUSS:

In what way does a forgiver often benefit more than the forgiven?

(Good answer: God will forgive forgivers much more than they have forgiven others.)

Pause and see if the Holy Spirit brings to mind someone that you ought to forgive.