The parable of the workers in the vineyard, by Steve Conley(originally posted to the Clown Ministry group at http://groups.yahoo.com/)
Kim and I have been hired at a local church to come in twice a month a do a skit that reinforces the Bible verse that is being taught. Here is the first one that we will be doing. I thought I would start sharing these with you.
Here is a skit on the parable of the workers in the vineyard. Hope you find it useful.
Steve Conley
Clown 1: (reading from the bible) “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard…… Before I complete this bible story I thought it would be good if we could act this out. I’m going to need a volunteer.
Clown 2: Ohhh! Me, pick me
Clown 1: OK, I’ll pick you.
Clown 2: Oh goodie!
Clown 1: “When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard…. I have an idea. Why don’t you come over here to this bucket? We don’t have a field so I want you to pick up this bucket and take it to the other side of the room. When you are finished I will pay you this dollar. (pretend dollar) Will you agree to do this for a dollar?
Clown 2: Oh yes, no problem.
(Clown 2 begins to try and pick up the bucket. As hard as he tries he can’t pick it up)
Clown 1: “And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and to those, he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ And so they went…. Oh, I need another volunteer. (pick a child) ….Here is what I want you to do. Come over here to this bucket. Again we don’t have a vineyard so I want you to pick up this bucket and take it to the other side of the room. When you are finished I will pay you this dollar. (pretend dollar) Will you agree to do this for a dollar? When you get done stand over here to the side…. Hey, Clown 2, How are you doing over there?
Clown 2: Oh fine, It’s a little tough but I’m getting. (Clown 2 is still trying to move the bucket but he can’t)
Clown 1: “Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing…. Oh, I need another volunteer. (pick a child) ….Here is what I want you to do. Come over here to this bucket. Again we don’t have a vineyard so I want you to pick up this bucket and take it to the other side of the room. When you are finished I will pay you this dollar. (pretend dollar) Will you agree to do this for a dollar? When you get done stand over here to the side…. Hey, Clown 2, How are you doing over there?
Clown 2: Oh good, It’s starting to move some.
(Clown 2 is still trying to move the bucket but he can’t)
Clown 1: “And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’ “They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us. He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’… I need another volunteer. (pick a child) ….Here is what I want you to do. Come over here to this bucket. Again we don’t have a vineyard so I want you to pick up this bucket and take it to the other side of the room. When you are finished I will pay you this dollar. (pretend dollar) Will you agree to do this for a dollar? When you get done stand over here to the side…. Hey, Clown 2, How are you doing over there?
Clown 2: I think I need some help.
Clown 1: OK, Can one of my other helpers give him a hand. (Clown 2 has secretly moved the bucket so the child can pick it up)
(The child picks the bucket up and sets it to the side. Clown 2 goes and stands to the side.)
Clown 1: “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.’ “When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius. “When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. “When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us
who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day…. OK, everyone come here and get your dollar. (Clown 1 pays them the dollar, last to first)
Clown 2: Hey wait a minute. They got paid the same as me. I was hired first and I worked the longest. I should receive more than them. It just is not fair!
Clown 1: Listen to the rest of the story…. “But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? ‘Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. ‘Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’ … That’s what the landowner said to the grumbling worker and that what I say to you. This is my money! Did you not agree to work for a dollar?
Clown 2: Well, yes.
Clown 1: Did I not pay you that dollar?
Clown 2: Yes.
Clown 1: Why are you concerned with these others. Why can you not be content with what you have? I am generous with what I have and it is my money to do what I wish.
Clown 2: You are right. I should be happy with what I have.
(At this point the teacher should enter and finish the lesson)
The bucket I use has a hole in the bottom of it with a groove coming from the hole (see fig 1). The board that the bucket sits on a board. The hole goes over a large washer fixed to a bolt and the bolt is fixed to the board. The groove coming from the hole in the bucket slides around the bolt. The washer will not let the bucket come up. When it is time for the child to pick up the bucket slide the bucket to the hole where the washer will fit through the hole.
I hope this makes sense. It’s kind of hard to explain. ATTACHED is a drawing. Maybe you can understand it better.