He also expressed this in other words: "Woe to the world because of offenses, for it is necessary that offenses come" (Mt 18:7).
Everywhere He sets Himself before them as an example. He teaches them that, while striving for what is greater, they must not be put to shame in another way. As though necessarily following behind the glory of the Lord, they must not try to be above Him.
Thus He undoubtedly indicates that they will be subjected to dishonor when He says, "A servant is not above his master."
Behold, He says, those wretched men reviled Me with their unbridled tongue. They left no form of insult unused. They called Me possessed (Jn 10:20-21 and elsewhere), a winebibber (Mt 11:19), and the fruit of fornication.
Yet I did not demand immediate punishment. Remaining unwounded by their abuse, I continued to impart saving teaching to those who listened.
Therefore do not seek greater things out of season. Do not despise the measure of the Lord's humility, who for your sake brought Himself down to such abasement, for the profit of all.
So He compels them to rise above both harshness in words and the impiety of those accustomed to reproach. In the same struggle the blessed prophet Jeremiah said, "My strength has failed among those who curse me" (Jer 15:10).
The divine Paul was still more glorified in this and fought greatly against the impiety of those who insulted him. He says, "Being reviled, we bless; being slandered, we entreat" (1 Cor 4:12-13).
The desire to overcome this belongs to a mind poor in spirit, according to what is written (Mt 5:3), and fully adorned with humble disposition. Magnanimity and freedom from malice chiefly reveal their nature here, and grow as from a good root.
But the inability to be patient under insulting words and every kind of blasphemy from anyone is a clear sign of a vainglorious character. It marks a soul not wholly free from love of worldly glory.
For what can anyone do, or what injury can harm the lover of modesty? Conversely, will not reproach from someone be incurable grief for one carried away by worldly glory?
Therefore He rightly commands them to have a mind raised above this emptiest glory, I mean the glory honored in the world, and soaring above all such things.
He also indicates, as it were, a necessary assurance that they must desire to be such. As a means urging them to this, He brings forward the consideration mentioned at the beginning.
They must follow behind the glory of the Lord and bear with complete joy whatever will befall them at the appointed time, when they are to be glorified for God's sake.
They must not turn aside because of dishonor into useless idleness. If they suffer bitter insults from anyone, they must not lose boldness in teaching. They must not neglect the divine commandments.
Rather, they must hold fast to love for the brethren and strive in every way to bring profit to those who go astray.
Having thus persuaded them to despise temporary worldly glory, He tries to give them something else, both useful and necessary.
"If they persecuted Me," He says, "they will also persecute you." These words have a sense akin to the former ones. He persuades them to have patience and adds a forewarning of the weakness of the thoughts that must be expected in us.
It was certain that the disciples of the Savior, when they fell under the anger of the enemies of the truth, would be subjected to every terror of persecutions.
Yet it was entirely right for them to keep in mind that, by spreading the preaching of Christ's glory, they would without doubt receive abundant mercy from Him.
Thus no obstacle would stand before their most wondrous zeal. They would overcome every fear and danger, and would not suffer anything that could bring grief. Rather, they would enjoy honor from all as preachers among them of the saving teaching.
There is nothing unnatural in expecting this and striving for it, for those who labor to call people to eternal life and become causes of God's gifts for their hearers.
Yet each person directs the movement of his will toward what he desires. He turns toward what is desirable to him and brings him pleasure.
Therefore there also had to be people hostile to the truth, subject to evil pleasures, and believing they must fight those who turn them away from those pleasures. Teachings directed against this are displeasing to lovers of pleasure.
So it was natural, as though by necessity, to expect that such people would appear as enemies. They would persecute, insult, and devise every kind of temptation.
Thus Christ commands them to be courageous against this as well. He does not hide that this will happen. On the contrary, by commanding them to be bold, He proclaims that persecutors will appear.
"If they persecuted Me," He says, "they will also persecute you."
This is as if He were saying: I, the Creator of all, who have all things in My authority, both in heaven and on earth, did not put a bridle on their souls. I did not violently restrain the will of each hearer.
Rather, I left it to each person's free choice to choose what pleases him and to do what he wishes. Thus, being persecuted, I endured it, though I had authority to prevent it.
Therefore, when you also undergo persecution and at once endure attacks from those who hate you, do not be greatly vexed at the ingratitude of those indebted to you.
Rather, follow My divine economy and be guided by the same desires, so that you may receive the same glory. For those who suffer with Him will also reign with Him (2 Tim 2:12).
By adding a third saying, "If they kept My word, they will keep yours also," He does not allow them to fall into despondency if their teaching is sometimes not accepted. He does this very well.
For one appointed to this work thinks his labor remains useless if some do not wish to follow his words. But this is not so. Let no one think it.
Why? Because the teacher, once he has spoken and offered knowledge of what is profitable, has done what was possible for him. The rest must depend on the disposition of the hearers.
It is easier for them to turn toward what each desires, either obedience or the opposite.
Therefore teachers of the good, who with faith communicate the power to do what is inaccessible to us, must not be lazy in sowing, by divine power, the word that can be profitable even for those who despair.
We shall find this also in what actually happened, or was beautifully portrayed, in the parable of the distribution of the talents.
One is shown to have received ten, another five, a third two, and besides these a fourth received one. Refusing profit, he buried the talent in the earth.
Therefore he also heard: "Wicked and lazy servant! You ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received my own with interest" (Mt 25:26-27).
Those who devote their labor to farming, and have that occupation, plow the earth and then bury the seed in the tilled field. They no longer ascribe the rest to their own skill, but entrust it to divine power and grace.
I mean the rooting of what has been sown and its growth into perfect fruit.
So too, I think, the teacher of the good must only impart the teaching, and then entrust the rest to God.
Therefore the Savior gives His disciples a means that frees them from faintheartedness and carelessness, together with an exhortation.
Never decide, He says, to be lazy in continuing to teach, even if some who have once received instruction attach no importance to the teaching given them.
When you find that My own words were sometimes not accepted by many, do not strive to surpass My glory. Remaining behind Me in this also, put faintheartedness far from yourselves.
This instruction was very necessary for the holy Apostles, since they were to preach the divine and saving teaching to all people.
Thus divine Paul, appointed by Christ to the apostleship, appeared before us precisely as such a man. He is often shown displaying courage in these circumstances.
It is easy to prove that he thought it necessary both to despise vainglory and to disregard persecutions entirely. He highly valued preserving courage, even if some did not accept at all the word once sown in them.
Thus he writes to some: "You are wise in Christ, but we are fools for Christ's sake; we are weak, but you are strong; you are honored, but we are dishonored; to the present hour we hunger and thirst" (1 Cor 4:10-11).
Besides this, he adds, "We have become as the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all things until now" (1 Cor 4:13).
Do you see how he was above worldly glory, following the Savior's commandment?
Likewise, showing courage in persecutions, he said, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?" (Rom 8:35).
He also writes to others, "To write the same things to you is not troublesome for me, and for you it is safe" (Phil 3:1).
And again to the Galatians: "My little children, for whom I again travail in birth until Christ is formed in you" (Gal 4:19).
Do you hear how he does not grow weary of repeating the same word, once it was not accepted at first and in the beginning? Again, he says beautifully, he brings some to birth until the image of Christ shines forth in them.
Certainly the Word is the creator of this. Through faith He transforms the hearers toward love of God and into the image of Christ.
THEOSIS