Questions about the Sunday of the Blind Man QUESTION 1 Tell the story of the healing of the man born blind from birth. Where does this story appear? When is it read in church? QUESTION 2 Why was the man born blind? The scripture mentions two possibilities. QUESTION 3 What is the tradition concerning the "eyes" of the man born blind? QUESTION 4 Many of Christ's healings recounted in the Scriptures consists of TWO healings, sometimes in a different order. What are these, in general terms? Describe these two healings of the blind man, in the order they occurred. Give at least one other example of a "double healing". QUESTION 5 Why were the Jews upset about the healing of the blind man? What were the stated reasons, and what were the real reasons? QUESTION 6 The complete healing of the blind man is a marvelous example of synergy, the cooperation of man with God's will. One may justly conjecture that his complete healing would not have been affected if not for his own praiseworthy actions. Explain. Hint - describe and comment on the actions of the blind man from the time he was told to wash in the pool of Siloam until his second encounter with Christ. You should be able to describe at least two of his important actions, which were absolutely necessary to affect his complete healing. QUESTION 7 The healing of the blind man shows in a striking way that God gradually illumines a soul. This event was recorded for our benefit, and together with many other events and recountings, helps us to see the diverse manner in which Christ heals and illumines a soul, and also serves as an instruction to us, who are also being gradually illumined, more or less according to our reaction to God's grace. The illumination of the soul has been a constant theme since Pascha. Describe at lease three other examples of this most important action of the grace of God, which the church has recently contemplated. What may these recountings teach us? QUESTION 8 The trip of the blind man to the pool of Siloam cannot be overlooked, as it is very instructive to us. What is this trip a model for? Describe the trip, and don't be so laconic! We must understand the difficulty of this trip, if we are to benefit from it. QUESTION 9 Jesus said to His disciples, after they asked him about the blind man: "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work." ((John 9:4) What is the meaning? QUESTION 10 Describe another washing in the Old Testament (this one, being 7 washings) that also affected a healing.