Indeed, one who suffers at the hands of others is not necessarily overcome. Consider the Apostle Paul, who found joy in his persecutions, and how he gloried even when he escaped from a window in a basket. We must also remember how Saints Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel remained faithful despite their captivity and torment by the Assyrians; they upheld their trust in the Lord's covenant while ensuring compliance with divine laws, refusing to compromise even regarding prohibited foods. The translation by Theodotion expresses this well: "And they that hate us triumphed over us" (Psalm 43:11). For the derision of adversaries causes no harm to a righteous soul, nor does the pain they inflict. Confident that torment cannot damage him, the saint proclaims: "Who shall separate us from the love of God? Shall tribulation or distress?" (Rom. 8:35) But we conquer all these trials through the strength of Him who loves us, certain that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor powers, nor present nor future can sever us from the love of God that exists in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:37-39). Such a person remains devoted to Christ! Therefore, even when persecuted in the flesh, his spirit remains liberated, and such affliction cannot harm him; rather, he seeks a glorious suffering, like those referenced in the Scriptures: "From the days of John the Baptist the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force" (Matthew 11:12). Thus, we may refer to someone who, while immersed in worldly matters, refuses to succumb to disbelief as a victor. Not only can no one strip this person of his glory, but he himself also elevates the eternal.
The subsequent verse speaks of being offered as sheep for consumption (Psalm 43:12). Our Lord Jesus Christ is indeed good as He became our Paschal Lamb. How did this occur? The Scripture states, "Our Passover, Christ, sacrificed for us" (1 Cor. 5:7), reminding us that when our ancestors sacrificed the lamb and consumed it, it foreshadowed the suffering of our Lord Jesus, whose sacrament nourishes us daily. Through the lamb, they became flocks destined for consumption, as Aquila expresses, or as Theodotion translates it, or the sustenance for those who partake, as Simmachus claims. A bountiful feast is not to frighten the saints but to be sought, for no other way can access the Kingdom of Heaven. Our Lord Himself declared, "Unless you eat My flesh, you have no life in you" (John 6:53). This affirms that Christ is our feast and sustenance, as He proclaimed, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven" (John 6:51). To emphasize that all of this happened for us, the apostle notes that from the moment He descended, we all partake of one bread (1 Cor. 10:17). Thus, we need not dread being sheep intended for consumption. Just as the Lord's body and blood redeemed us, so too did Peter suffer greatly for the Church, as did the holy Apostle Paul and the others, who endured much, being beaten, stoned, and imprisoned. Their perseverance in trials and acceptance of danger fortified the Lord's followers, leading to the growth of the Church, as many were emboldened toward martyrdom, witnessing that suffering did not strip the apostles of virtue; rather, through their ephemeral lives, they attained immortality. The concluding phrase of the verse reiterates: "Among the Gentiles Thou hast scattered us" (Psalm 43:12). Theodotion presents a similar translation, with Aquila and Symmachus stating, "In the Gentiles" or "among the Gentiles, Thou hast scattered us." For the holy apostles were sent to the Gentiles and dispersed among them, just as the holy prophets previously did, resulting in an abundance of spiritual fruit. Just as our Lord Jesus Christ fell to the earth as a seed and died to produce abundant harvests, so did the holy apostles scatter to sow good seed amongst the Gentiles, expecting that like fruit would arise. Scripture reminds us that the Lord commanded, "I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain" (John 15:16). The Lord became like a seed, as was promised to Abraham, "And to thy seed" (Gen. 17:8), referring to Christ. Thus, Christ is the seed of all creation, allowing Himself to be cast to the earth and scattered, so that our humbled bodies might be transformed in accordance with His glory. From this seed emerged salvation for all, and the holy apostles, modeled after Him, were dispatched to various lands, gathering the Gentiles into the Church, thereby yielding a rich harvest for the world. Hence, we call this scattering; as noted in one of David's last psalms, "The Lord builds up Jerusalem and gathers together the outcasts of Israel" (Psalm 146:2). They were dispersed to generate fresh fruit, which must be gathered into the granaries of the Church like new wheat. This scattering occurs not below on earth, but rather in heaven. This truth is underscored in the law, where the Lord states, "If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, I will gather them from there" (Deuteronomy 30:4). What does it mean to scatter from one end of heaven to the other? Who is so mighty as to scatter this widely? Since humanity is born of the earth, its origins are below, not above. If this notion unsettles you, return to the words of the holy prophet and inquire about the one who has managed to cultivate such abundant fields on earth that their bounty reaches the heavenly granaries. It is the Bridegroom who, like a mighty warrior, journeyed all the way, overcoming paths impassable to others. Following Him, humans were enabled to traverse that way, having ascended it, although He was the first to descend, permitting His saints to ascend that path on account of their merits.
Consider how the scattering from the ends of heaven came to pass. It is stated, "His going forth is from the end of heaven, and His circuit unto the ends of it" (Psalm 18:7). To whom does this refer? Moses ascended Mount Sinai at great difficulty, and that only because God called him with a voice from the heavens. Is there any other than Christ who has come down from heaven? Even as He descended to earth, He remained in heaven, as it is written, "No man hath ascended into heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven" (John 3:13). This illustrates that in both descent and ascent, He remained in heaven. For He declared, "I fill heaven and earth" (Jer. 23:24). We have sufficiently examined the nature of this dispersion. It remains to address the translation of Aquila and Symmachus, "Thou hast sown us" (Psalm 43:12). Although different terminology is employed, the meaning remains consistent. Just as those who are dispersed may be seen as tested, so too do those who endure trials earn commendation. Just as wheat is winnowed and separated from the chaff to become pure—if left unrefined, it remains contaminated—likewise, the chaff, representing all that is unstable within a person, is not removed from one untested by trials. Thus, when addressing Peter, the Lord said, "Simon, behold, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith fail not" (Luke 22:31-32). Let us contemplate these words: Peter is being tested and compelled to reject Christ. He confronts temptation and expresses thoughts that are clouded, yet the utterances he articulates only fortify him internally. In his grief, he weeps and purges himself of the chaff; through these tribulations, he secures Christ's intercession on his behalf. Such intercession is far more powerful than the momentary confusion wrought by temptation. Hence, his reward surpasses his sufferings, for he has gained the intercession of Christ. The adversary is compelled to seek to tempt the saints to his own detriment, as through his trials, he refines them, allowing the tempted to become mentors for others, despite any appearances of weakness or inadequacy. Thus, Peter ascended to the head of the church through the challenges posed by the evil one. The Lord foreshadowed His later actions by choosing Peter as the shepherd of His flock, stating, "When you are converted, strengthen your brethren" (Luke 22:32). St. Peter became good fruit, having been sown like wheat to become, alongside the Lord's saints, a single loaf of bread, which serves as sustenance for us. When we reflect on Peter's actions and absorb his teachings, he becomes for us the nourishing source of eternal life.
THEOSIS