Introduction
This choral reading is designed for five people, one for the introduction and one for each gospel. It is constructed to be read with overlapping voices.
The overlap may vary. The idea is to keep going while hearing two or three voices-- and at one point, all four voices. After the emotional ending, the group can freeze as if looking into the tomb while group singing begins.
Instructions: Where the boldface italics begins on one line, the next voice comes in with the underlined text while the first voice continues to read. Where the text is bold face, all the voices read at the same time. For instance, three read the scene where Jesus tells the disciples to leave the woman alone (Matthew, Mark, John); all four voices read the scene at the tomb while the drums are rumbling.
Choral Reading
Open and close with congregational singing of the African-American spiritual "O Mary, Don't You Weep."
Leader: Mary is another name for Miriam. There were at least four Marys in Jesus' group: his mother, Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany (Martha's Sister) and his aunt Mary who is only mentioned once. Their identities in the Bible step forward and slide back, they merge together and speak for themselves.
The following scripture choral reading is from all four gospels where they name the women who anointed Jesus, stood by him at his crucifixion and were the first to witness his resurrection. When you hear silence from one or the other reader, it is because that gospel writer made no comment.
Hear the collage of the women's stories we have in the Bible. If at any point you are confused, remember the early church had only the first hand stories of witnesses, heard in snippets, rumors and various versions. Hearing the four versions together helps us hear some of the confusion and differing perspectives of the early church.
John: Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him.
Matthew: Now while Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,
Mark: While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table,
Luke: And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment.
John: Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
Matthew: a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table.
Mark: a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head.
Luke: She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment.
John: But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.)
Matthew: But when the disciples saw it, they were angry and said, "Why this waste? For this ointment could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to the poor."
Mark: But some were there who said to one another in anger, "Why was the ointment wasted in this way? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor." And they scolded her.
Luke: Now when the Pharisee who had invited them saw it, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him--that she is a sinner.
John: Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."
Matthew: But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.
Mark: But Jesus said, "Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me.
Luke: Jesus spoke up and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." "Teacher," he replied, "Speak." "A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?" Simon answered, "I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt."
Matthew: By pouring this ointment on my body she has prepared me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her."
Mark: She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.
Luke: And Jesus said to him, "You have judged rightly.
DRUM HEART BEAT (Use a deep sounding drum--you might try an inverted 5 gallon plastic drum-hold the drum-hold it so one end is open to get the most sound--experiment with your hand or use a wooden spoon with cloth wrapped and duct-taped on--check with your high school for a bass drum or get a small group to use a regular table top--use the fleshy parts of fists to do heart beat and rumble.) BEAT 6 HEART BEATS
John: Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, "Woman, here is your son." Then he said to the disciple, "here is your mother."
Matthew: Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
Mark: There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. They used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.
Luke: And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
PAUSE
Matthew: After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.
Mark: When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.
Luke: But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared.
John: Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."
PAUSE... Drums Begin TO RUMBLE..... Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John at one time...
Matthew: And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
Mark: [The women] had been saying to each other, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" When they looked up, they saw the stone, which was very large had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look there is the place they laid him.
Luke: They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the Dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again."
John: Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. The Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.
Drums end... with one sharp beat
Matthew: SUDDENLY Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.
Mark: Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out several demons. She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.
Luke: Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.
As John is reading, Matthew, Mark, Luke lean toward John and place a hand on her shoulders. (Person furthest from John can put her hand on the person next to her. All lean slightly as if looking into the tomb as she reads "...she bent over to look into the tomb....".
John: But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her "Mary! She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbauni!"
All four readers say "Rabbauni!" together. The usual pronunciation is "rah-bóne-aye" but whatever you agree to will work.
Questions for Discussion
1. What does it mean to you that there are four different versions of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection?
2. In the various versions of the anointing of Jesus, in one His head is anointed, in another His feet, and it is not always clear if it is the same Mary who is doing the anointing. What are some possible understandings of these variations?
3. Why do you think John emphasized the encounter between Jesus and Mary Magdalene in his gospel?
4. Compare the women’s role in the events surrounding the Passion to the male disciples.
5. The oldest version of Mark has no resurrection account. What impact does this have and how should we relate to the inserted accounts of the resurrection at the end of Mark?
Notes
These are the scripture passages used in the reading:- John 12:1-8, Matthew 26:1-13, Mark 14:3-9, Luke 7:37-43
- Matthew 27:55-56, Mark 15:40-41, Luke 23:47-49
- Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:1-2, Luke 24:1, John 20:1-2
- Matthew 28:7-8, Mark 16:7-8, Luke 24:5-9, John 20:11, 16, 18
This choral arrangement is copyright © Women's Division, General Board of Global Ministries, The United Methodist Church. Scriptural quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission.
This reading may be reproduced with credits by United Methodist Women's groups and others studying the adult or youth texts for Jesus and Courageous Women of the Bible. Others should write acraig@gbgm-umc.org or call (212) 870-3737 for permission.
| Next: Mary, the Mother of Jesus Or: Mary Magdalene |  |
