1. How did the Lord’s raising of Lazarus relate to the decision to put Him to death?

2. What is the Law of Moses and what does it mean to be “ritually unclean”? What was the purpose of the Temple and why was it so important in 1st century Judaism?

3. Who were the Pharisees and what did the Lord do to upset them? What was the problem the Lord had with the Pharisees?

4. Dr. Jeannie suggests that in the Orthodox Church today we tend to admire the people who keep fasts, do prostrations, and make long prayers — but she encourages us to be careful not to fall into the same trap that the Pharisees fell into (which is thinking that an outward observance of a ritual is what makes us righteous in the eyes of God). What are your thoughts on this? How can we find the right balance of using the tools the Church has given us (such as fasting, venerating icons, prayer rules, etc) while ensuring that we don’t fall into the same trap of self-righteousness that the Pharisees fell into?

Bible reading: John 11:1-57, Luke 18:9-14, Matthew 23:1-39

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