The Bethlehem of My Heart - Monologue

The Bethlehem of My Heart
(Removing the Herods in Our Life)

© Copyright Howi Tiller 2009

This monologue is more than just the retelling of the traditional Christmas story. It goes further and invites the audience to listen, but to also sit up and re-listen. It makes the audience think. Yes, to appreciate the fact that God came, Emmanuel, God with us, is the essence of why we celebrate, but to also think about how he came despite what else was happening in the earth…despite who was sitting on any earthly throne. “The Bethlehem of My Heart”, opens the possibility for your audience to ask the question of themselves, “Who sits on the throne of my heart?” Everyone needs a Bethlehem of the heart.

This is a moving and thought provoking moment for your audience. It can be a stand alone moment or a contribution to the evening of celebrating the birth of our Saviour.

Cast: 1 M
Joseph

Props: You could use a manger and a doll for the baby or the props can be mimed.

Setting: Biblical, could be stable or even work shop of carpenter since we don’t know when Joseph is telling this story.

Running time: About 7 minutes

Feel free to add mood music to enhance the scene.

As the scene opens, Joseph is speaking to the audience as if he is in the middle of telling his story.

Joseph: From the beginning…from the first day that Mary came to me with her story about an angel named Gabriel, adversity began to surrounded the birth of this child. I remember when she stepped inside my shop that day. The look in her eyes told me something was…ah…that it was urgent and she had to talk to me. Her lips tried to smile, but her eyes told me something else. It was excitement and concern at the same time. I dropped what I was doing and without a word I followed her to the side room where I knew we could talk. Then for the next few days I was that adversity. She was so disappointed with me and it hurt me to know that I was hurting her. Her story was too hard for me to believe. However, what God was doing didn’t stop just because I didn’t understand it. His plan to be birthed as a human wasn’t deterred by my lack of faith to believe it.

I wanted to put Mary away privately and wait until this all passed. I could not allow her to bear the ridicule of the public. I still loved her with all my heart and was willing to wait. But asking someone to not be seen by loved ones and friends in such a small community was not going to be an easy task. People were going to ask where Mary is and so well…I just…I just didn’t know what to do.

That night I tried to rest my mind from all that had been unfolding in our lives. I was trying to create and answer…an answer that would be sufficient enough for people’s questions. Ironic isn’t it? As a carpenter I’m so used to making things fit…securing things in their proper place, but this…this was out of my hands…out of my control. And well, none of this seemed like the way anyone would do things. A stable…cattle… lowly shepherds…a manger for a king? In my little mind, nothing seemed to fit and yet when you see things as God sees them, it all fits perfectly. I see that now, but there was a time I thought I would go to my grave wondering how I fit in all this and now…it’s so clear.

I must have finally fallen off to sleep, when the angel of the Lord appeared to me in a dream and said, “Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shall call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” This was done so that the ancient prophecy could be fulfilled, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” Emmanuel. Isn’t it amazing that He came to save us even when we…even when I was his adversity? He came anyway. I guess that’s when I stopped being an adversity. Wouldn’t you? How much more do I need to hear? How much more does, “stubborn” need to see?

I know that Mary carried the babe for nine months, but something was also being birthed in me…my heart…my mind…my soul.

Before you think I am someone special…let me tell you otherwise. I can only attribute my involvement in Jesus’ birth to being that I was a descendent of King David. Can you believe that? (Almost not believing it himself.) I’m in the lineage of a king. For that I am grateful, but I am not a chosen vessel. Yet for Mary…it was different. She was chosen. She was highly favored.

The overshadowing! In my mind is overwhelming, yet undeniable.

“And of His kingdom there shall be no end”! Do you understand that? I can’t even begin to pretend that I understand any of that. I didn’t say that I don’t believe it. (Mimes that he is holding the baby Jesus in his arms.) It’s just hard to hold an inarticulate life in your hands and know that this is the one who spoke the world into existence…the stars into place. Just because the babe doesn’t have a language to express himself yet, doesn’t mean He doesn’t have something to say….the Word become flesh.

To me He was saying, “I’m coming no matter what else is happening and adversity is not going to stop me.

“The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:”

No wonder why Herod was troubled. People like Herod will always be at war with the birth of the child. Even while in it’s infancy, full grown selfishness schemes and plots to crush that birth of life and the life of the birth. The Christ child came while Herod was still King. Selfishness and jealousy will always be at odds with the birth of God in your life. Adversity sits in it’s own throne and threatens anyone or anything that dares to remove them from it.

When I think about Mary, I think she is one of those that are born with an unlimited amount of faith. Yes, that’s Mary. But others of us in a way…need to be…reborn. Rebirthed. Our minds can’t contain the thought of an angel named Gabriel announcing the virgin birth of the Messiah…Emmanuel…God is with us…well, at least not until we can hold it in our hands. (Mimes that he is laying the babe in the manger.)

“And of His kingdom there shall be no end.”

Kingdoms? Eternal…endless? And the prophet Micah said, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

The infancy of eternity comes to replace the temporal king while he is still on the throne. The kings in this life (He refers to his heart.) are so stubborn and haughty.

(He kneels before the child.) I need the full grown Herods of my life to be removed by the birth of the Christ in the Bethlehem of my heart.

Lights fade