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| Robin Lamont, who sings "Day by Day" in Godspell |
Merrell, not Jesus, narrates the Unmerciful Servant parable.
As he describes the king to whom the debt of “millions” is owed (ten thousand
talents in Matt. 18:23-35), Robin starts playing the role of the king, climbs
up on a truck, and places a mock crown on her head. The other disciples sing
“yeah, yeah,” after each line of the narration. As Merrell continues his
narration of the story, the other disciples actively participate, either in
singing numerous responses or acting out the roles of the two debtors—Jeffrey
plays the role of the first servant, and Jerry plays the role of the second. Other
disciples join in to narrate—John the Baptist/Judas (see below), Gilmer, and Lynne each take turns—but
once again it is Jesus who supplies the moral of the story at the end: “And
that is how my Heavenly Father will deal with you unless you forgive your
brothers and sisters from your hearts.”
This parable causes an epiphany
for Robin, and she sings “Day By Day” in response, thus becoming the first
disciple to declare that she follows Jesus. This is a major step toward the
various characters pledging their loyalty to Jesus, stating their belief, and
having the faith to become a member of the community that is forming around
Jesus and his teachings. To a large extent the majority of the first part of
the film consists of the “clown” Jesus inspiring his disciples to listen,
understand, and believe in very profound insights about love, caring for one
another, integrity, humility, and service, mostly through his parables (de
Giere 2008: 57).
At some point during the course of the film, the character
playing John the Baptist morphs into Judas the betrayer. This transition helps
underscore the point that in the kingdom of heaven according to Godspell, no one is left behind; all are
included. When Judas mocks Jesus’s next teaching—that one is supposed to turn
the other cheek—Jesus slaps him; Judas decides to turn the other cheek, and
Jesus embraces him.
Next: The Sheep and Goats parable.
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