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SERVANT  4'2m0f The parable of the unmerciful servant

ED --   And now, sit down, put your feet up, relax and listen to 
another edition of... Parables on Parade. Tonight's parable comes 
from Matthew chapter 18 beginning at verse 23.

"Therefore , the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to 
settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man 
who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was 
not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his 
children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. "The servant 
fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and 
I will pay back everything.' 

FRED -- (door opens) Save your breath. I've got a rewrite.

ED --   You're like a bill collector. You never give up!

FRED -- Funny you should mention bill collectors. This rewrite is 
all about collecting debts.

ED --   How original.

FRED -- Okay, so it's got the same plot. My rewrite is better 
than the original.

ED --   Is there an echo in here?

FRED -- I know you've heard me say that before. But this is my very 
best work, EVER! And best of all, there are no special effects.

ED --   No flash fires? Nothing falling from the ceiling?

FRED -- Nope! That's the beauty of it! I wrote it specifically for 
our LISTENING audience. Well, what do you say?

ED --   Well, my eye brows haven't grown back yet. What do have to 
lose?

FRED -- Here's your script. You get to play the part of the King.

ED --   Lucky me.

FRED -- And I'm the deadbeat servant. Ah, that's the PART I play. 
Ah, what I mean is, that's my role. I mean, I'm not like that in 
real life.

ED --   Ah hem!

FRED -- Alright, here's the five bucks I owe you. Now let's start 
from the top. You play the king. Let me hear your kingliest 
voice.

ED --   Alright, listen up, you servants...

        Listen up? Oh, this is really well polished dialogue here.

FRED -- Give me a break. I just wrote it in the bus on the way over 
here.

ED --   The bus? What happened to your car?

FRED -- (clears throat, low) It got repossessed.

ED --   It what?

FRED -- Don't say it. I know what your going to say. You're going to 
say how fitting this is that I should be playing a deadbeat. But 
don't say it. It was all a big mistake.

ED --   I'm sure.

FRED -- I had the money in my checking account.

ED --   Of course.

FRED -- Well, I had to. Otherwise, why would I some blank checks 
left?

ED --   Oh, brother.

FRED -- But I digress. From the top, please, King.

ED --   Alright, listen up you servants. A lot of you owe me a lot 
of dough, see. And today is the day you're gonna pay up, see. You 
first, fella.

FRED -- Who, sir, me, sir?

ED --   Yes, sir, you sir.

FRED -- Why are you stopping? Alright, so I could have written a 
little better...

ED --   No, no, it's not that. I can't make out the words here, 
where you ran out of ink and started using pencil.

FRED -- Oh, yeah, I had to borrow a pencil from the bus driver. Let 
me make that darker for you.

ED --   You still have the bus driver's pencil?

FRED -- Yeah, well, I had to leave the bus in a hurry, by the back 
door.

ED --   Why?

FRED -- Because I recognized the guy who was getting on the bus.

ED --   Just who were you trying to avoid?

FRED -- A guy I... borrowed five bucks from.

ED --   Oh, brother.

FRED -- Well, it could happen to anyone. I've been a little down on 
my luck lately.

ED --   Why?

FRED -- I've been unable to collect some bad debts.

ED --   Why don't we throw out this script and reenact your life's 
story. It's a lot more interesting.

FRED -- I'm expecting my bad luck to come to a screeching halt real 
soon, though.

ED --   I'm afraid to ask. No, I'm not going to ask. This 
parable has nothing to do with money, anyway.

FRED -- It doesn't?

ED --   No.

FRED -- What is it about then?

ED --   It's about forgiveness. 

FRED -- It is?

ED --   Yes, the Lord has forgiven us so much. In fact, he died 
for our transgressions. Yet, we are often reluctant to forgive 
each other for relatively small things. 

FRED -- Well, in that case, hand me your eraser, there, would 
you. I used mine up on the bus. 

ED --   Sure. Here you go. What....

FRED -- ...I'm going to rewrite my ending with a big moral.

ED --   Tick, tock, tick, tock.

FRED -- I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying.

ED --   Alright, while we're waiting, tell our listeners how your 
personal bad luck will come to a screeching halt.

FRED -- I'm going to get a bill consolidation loan from Benny 
the Broozer.

ED --   Oh, brother.

FRED -- Well, look at that. I just ran out of paper. (afar) I 
gotta go buy some more.

ED --   Tune in next time for another edition of Parables on Parade.

FRED -- (afar) Say, can you loan me five bucks til pay day?


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