The Rising of the Son

(Oratory)

(On stage, speaking before audience)

When I opened my eyes, it was dark.  As I looked around, all I could see was a faint light in the distance, possibly a street light.  I glance up and saw a few stars twinkling in the sky.

Where was I?  How did I get here?  What was I doing here? 

As my eyes gradually grew accustomed to the dark, I began to see silhouettes.  I looked around.  As I turned and looked behind me, I saw a silhouette of a building.  It was my house.  I was standing in the street beside my own house!

Then I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye.  As I turned, I could see dark silhouettes of people milling around in the street.  They started to mumble the same things that I was  wondering…”Where am I? How did I get here?  What am I doing here?”

After a few moments of complete confusion, our attention was drawn to the horizon.  It looked like the sun was coming up.  The faint glow of rays of light was shimmering above the horizon.   But instead of rising slowly like the sun, the light quickly rose into the sky.  As it rose, it got brighter and brighter.  The darkness disappeared and then it became like day.  I could see everything.  But the light continued to rise.  Its brightness increased and became so brilliant that it hurt my eyes to even glance at it.  I had to close my eyes and turn my head away.

Suddenly, the light dimmed.  As I turned to see what had happened, I saw a man standing in front of us.  He was wearing long flowing robes of pure-white.  His face, full of love and joy, glowed with radiance.  The aura of radiance was all around him.  He carried a scroll made of white parchment under one arm.  At once, we all knew that it was Jesus Christ.

Immediately, some dropped to their knees and bowed before him.  Some fell prostrate on the ground.  Still others raised their hands and began to praise him.  And others, like me, became dumbfounded and could not speak or move.

As I stood there, I watched Jesus while He surveyed the crowd.  He loved these people.  You could see it in his face.  As He looked around, his eyes would light up and  joy and love radiated from him when he saw someone He knew. But, then He would see someone else and his expression would change.  The happiness in his eyes would turn to sadness.  There seemed to be a pain in his heart for that person.

Suddenly, Jesus quietly raised his hand.

Silence fell over the crowd.  Everyone fell to their knees and bowed to the Christ.  The silence was deafening.  There were no birds singing.  There were no frogs croaking, no trains, not even the rustling of leaves.

Jesus took the scroll from under his arm and unrolled it.  He began to read.  The first thing he read was a man’s name.  The man, who was in the crowd, jumped up and ran to Jesus as soon as he heard his name.  He fell at Jesus’ feet and bowed before Him.  Jesus gently reached down, took the man’s hand, and helped him up.  Then Jesus put his arms around him, hugged him, and in a soft quiet whisper that was loud enough for everyone to hear, said, “Well done good and faithful servant.”  Tears of joy immediately filled the man’s eyes and ran freely down his face.  He was with his Savior.

Then Jesus read another name.  This time it was a woman.  She jumped up, ran through the crowd, and fell at Jesus’ feet.  As she bowed, Jesus gently took her hand, helped her up, put his arms around her, and gave her a hug.  Then, in his quiet whisper that everyone could hear, he said to her, “Well done good and faithful servant.”  Her eyes too, filled with tears of joy.  She was with her Savior.

Jesus was calling his loved-ones home!

As I knelt there, I got really excited waiting for him to call my name.  You see, I was raised in a Christian home.  I went to church every Sunday.  I was baptized.  I was president of the youth group.   And as I became an adult, I started to teach.  I taught nursery, pre-school, kindergarten, Children’s church, Bible school, Bible studies.  I gave money to the church, helped feed the hungry and clothe the poor.  I lived the way I knew that I should and served Christ my whole life.  I was so anxious and excited to hear him call my name.

Suddenly, after calling only a few names, Jesus stopped reading.  He rolled up the scroll and put it back under his arm.  As He gazed around at those of us who were still kneeling, tears filled his eyes, and you could see the pain in his face.   He turned to go…  But He hadn’t called my name!

“Jesus, wait!” I called.  “Wait, you forgot me!  You haven’t called my name!  Don’t go yet!  You haven’t called my name!”

He stopped, turned around and looked at me, tears still in his eyes.  Then He said something to me I’ll never forget.  He said, “Child, I never knew you.”

“You never knew me,” I cried.  “You never knew me!  Jesus, I have served you my whole life.  I’ve taught Sunday school and Bible studies in your name.  I’ve helped people; I’ve helped feed the hungry and clothe the poor.  I’ve visited the sick and even given money to the church.  I have done everything you have asked!”

Then He said something else that I’ll never forget.  “Child,” he replied.  “God knows your heart.  I never knew you.”

“Jesus,” I begged.  “Jesus, take me with you.  I’ll give you everything.  I’ll serve you as long as I live.  Just don’t leave me.”

He reached out to me and then pulled back.  Tears were streaming freely down his face and mine.  With one last painful look, He turned…and was gone…with the ones He came for.

What was that supposed to mean?  He never knew me…God knows my heart…?  What did that mean?

Perhaps…perhaps it meant some of the things that I have done, I did out of duty.  It is how I was raised.  It was what I was taught to do and what I thought I should do.  So I did it.  Maybe…maybe it means I performed.  I did things so that people could see and would think I was very spiritual and religious.  I wanted the praise and approval.  Perhaps…perhaps things I did, I did for me, to make me feel good.  I did what I wanted to do so I could feel good about myself.   Everything I did was “works”.  God knew that He didn’t have my heart.  I wasn’t serving God…..  I was serving myself,  I loved me!  I did all of those things for me, not God.

Then I woke up…God had shown me this in a dream.

(Walk across stage to a chair and sit down to change the scene )

The day I dreamed I was left behind, that was the day that I gave my heart to Christ.

These last few years have been terrible!  The world is in chaos.  There is war, famine, hunger, disease, disaster, and hatred.  Some people call these the Tribulation years.  People like me are being persecuted, imprisoned and sometimes executed for their belief in Christ.

Me?  I now sit in a prison of concrete walls and iron bars.  You see, the day I dreamed Christ left me behind…I gave my heart to Him.  I not only gave him my heart, but I gave him my soul and my life.  I gave Him everything.  Nothing in this world can ever come between my Savior  and me again, not even death.  Now as I sit in this prison and wait for my execution…my murder…my death…I know that He is here with me.  I am not home yet.  This world is not where I belong.  You can have this world, but give me Jesus.  I am going home.

(Stand to receive the guards.  Pretend your hands are being hand-cuffed)

The guards in their fancy uniforms with weapons and hand-cuffs are here to get me.  It’s time to go…

(Slowly step off stage and start walking down the isle.)

As I am walking this last road, all I know is I’m not home, this world is not where I belong.  You can have this world…But I have Jesus!

By Marsha K. Hood