"THE FEEDING OF THE 5000!" 

This play can be done with puppets and/or people. We used it for our opening Rally Day "welcome" for Sunday School.  Props are minimal, kids can help with sound effects (crowd noises.) The part of "Jesus" can be played by an adult or a voice over a loud speaker, whichever is easiest for your church.

Narrator - This is your man on the street, coming to you from the hills outside if Galilee where some three or four thousand people have gathered to hear Jesus of Nazareth speak. . . (crowd noises) (Narrator has a "microphone" in his hand)

James - That's five thousand!

Narrator - Huh? Excuse me, what did you say?

James - I said "that's" five thousand! Five thousand people are gathered here to listen to the Master. Get it right!

Narrator - I stand corrected . . . that's five thousand people gathered on this beautiful, grassy hillside, waiting to hear Jesus of Nazareth speak to them. . .We're standing here. with (holds the mic to James). . .

James - James! James, the younger!

Narrator - . . . with James, the younger, waiting for the arrival of Jesus of Nazareth. . .the crowd is joyfully expectant, ladies and gentleman, people are jostling each other, straining for a look at . . .James, the younger?! younger than what?

James - Than springtime, you big dweeb! Just kidding! I'm James, the younger, younger than James, the elder. Two of us disciples are called James. . . That's how the Master tells elder us aport, James, the younger and James, the elder! I'm the younger! Also, much better looking than james, the elder!

Narrator - yes! yes! very interesting, thank you very much! Now for a look at this amazing crowd, ladies and gentleman, I've never seen anything like it, people are climbing rocks and tress to get a better glimpse of. . . oh! I think I see him, I think I see Jesus. . .

James - Wrong again!

Narrator - Ah. . yes. . .Ladies and gentleman, as I said, I. . .ah. . . think I see Jesus' helpers. . . (Looks at James) am I right? yes, Jesus' helpers are coming through the crowd and they are giving out ah. . .Let's see, it doesn't look like bulletins. . ah. . no, it's too big for offering envelopes. . it looks like. . .

James - Food!

Narrator - Food! Yes, ladies and gentleman, right here, in the hills of Galilee, Jesus' helpers are moving among this great throng of people, passing out.. food?

James - Food, that's What I said, food as in - Lunch!

Narrator - This is amazing, ladies and gentleman, the friends of Jesus of Nazareth are feeding at least five thousand people here on this sunny hillside, and everyone is eating and having a wonderful time, while they wait the appearance of Jesus... why there must be thousands of loaves of bread and thousands of fish... Ladies and gentleman. I've never seen such a feast!

James - Wrong again!

Narrator - Say What?

James - Not thousands.. five loaves... two fish... that's all!

Narrator - You're kidding! Five loaves?! Two fish?!

James - I kid You not, five loaves, two fish.. that's all we had..some little kid gave up his lunch so Jesus could feed the hungry crowd...

Narrator - You're putting me on.. you can't feed a crowd like this with five loaves and two fish!

James - I didn't think so. either, but when we started passing out the food to people, after Jesus blessed it, we never ran out.. we even had baskets of food left over!

Narrator - Amazing, ladies and gentleman, a miracle you might say, this whole multitude of people, fed with five loaves and two fish... I've never seen anything like it in this century, and it's coming to you live from the hills of Galilee! This is your man on the street, reporting to you the wonderful things that are happening right here before our very eyes! Wait! The crowed is hushed, ladies and gentleman, I think I see.. it's.. yes,it is..is Jesus.. ladies and gentleman. He's getting ready to speak.. this is the moment we've been waiting for! Jesus of Nazareth coming to you live from the hills of Galilee...

Jesus - (A real person, comes out in front of puppet theatre - stretches out his hands to the crowd, than begins to speak:) (Matthew 5:3-16. Everyone sings: "This Little Light of Mine!")

Judy Johnson, 1991