10-13-13 I am I, Don Quixote

Scripture                                               John 12:31-36

Play Synopsis:

       Man of La Mancha is a musical inspired by Miguel de Cervantes's seventeenth century masterpiece Don Quixote. Alonzo Quijana, begins Cervantes, is a simple country gentleman who in his madness has decided that he will be a knight and call himself Don Quixote de la Mancha. Sancho Panza becomes his squire and together they ride forth to "right all wrongs". At a roadside inn (which Don Quixote thinks is a castle) they meet Aldonza, a poor kitchen servant and a prostitute. Don Quixote falls in love with her at first sight and calls her Dulcinea. He sees her as a beautiful high-born lady, not the "kitchen wench" that everyone else knows. Aldonza has never had anyone treat her kindly before and she can’t understand Don Quixote’s adoration.

Meanwhile Alonzo’s friend Sanson Carasco and the local priest are hatching a plot to bring Alonzo home and cure him of his madness. Their plan works too well. Alonzo falls unconscious and when he wakes he does not remember his adventures as Don Quixote. He is very weak and seems to have lost the will to live. Aldonza comes to visit him and inspires him to take up his quest as Don Quixote. Alonzo Quijana dies, but he dies triumphant, believing he is Don Quixote with his "Dulcinea" at his side.

As Cervantes finishes the tale he is summoned by the guard to face his Inquisition trial. The prisoners return Cervantes’ manuscript to him as he and his servant exit to face their next adventure. Cervantes is confident that they will not be executed and we feel that somehow he will be able to talk his way out of the next trial too. Perhaps he will tell them the story of Don Quixote.

Does this sound familiar, like something you have heard before?  “I am I, Don Quixote”

Ex 3:13-14

Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

John 12:31

   "Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out.

DON QUIXOTE
Hear me now Oh thou bleak and unbearable world,
Thou art base and debauched as can be;
And a knight with his banners all bravely unfurled
Now hurls down his gauntlet to thee!

I am I, Don Quixote, The Lord of La Mancha,

My destiny calls and I go,

And the wild winds of fortune Will carry me onward,

Oh whithersoever they blow.

Whithersoever they blow, Onward to glory I go!

SANCHO PANZA
I'm Sancho! Yes, I'm Sancho!, I'll follow my master till the end.
I'll tell all the world proudly, I'm his squire! I'm his friend!

What are the atrocities of this bleak and unbearable world, that is base and debauched as can be?  They are not natural disaster.  Well yes they are – the ones that naturally happen within us – they have a name – SIN.

WOMAN CAUGHT IN ADULTERY

The most obvious connection between scripture and one of the characters in the play is the woman caught in the act of adultery and Aldonza!

Describe Aldonza and how Quixote sees her and how that changes her life.

Describe the woman caught in the act of adultery and how Jesus sees her and how that changes her life.

John 8:2-11

10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11 "No one, sir." "Then neither do I condemn you, Go now and leave your life of sin."

The Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11-32

21 The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

The Restoration of Peter

John 21:1-18

All night 5 fishermen caught nothing.

"Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some."

Peter dove in and Jesus fed them breakfast:

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter,

"Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"

"Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

"Feed my lambs.  Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"

"Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

"Take care of my sheep.  Simon son of John, do you love me?"

“Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

"Feed my sheep.”

          The prisoners were not always bad – but everyone in the prison sees each other and themselves that way; as people of no worth.  Don Quixote comes in and sees the good in them all and by the end, they realize they are better than the sins they have committed and are now able, still in prison, to live as their very best selves and see the best in one-another.  What a community this creates.

John 12:31-36

"Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out.  "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself."  But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die. The multitude therefore answered Him, "We have heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how can You say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this Son of Man?" Jesus therefore said to them, "For a little while longer the light is among you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness may not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the light, believe in the light, in order that you may become sons of light."

DON QUIXOTE
Hear me, heathens and wizards And serpents of sin!
All your dastardly doings are past,
For a holy endeavor is now to begin And virtue shall triumph at last!
 
I am I, Don Quixote, The Lord of La Mancha,
My destiny calls and I go,
And the wild winds of fortune Will carry me onward,
Oh whithersoever they blow!

But we did we do not live life based on fictional characters, we live by the truth of the life-giver Jesus Christ who said to you: "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself."  He was lifted up not to see, but because he saw the good in you once your sins would be removed and only he could remove them by being lifted up.  He calls you to lift up and see the good in others – to see people with Christ-like eyes.