Fear and Suffering

Τότε λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Πὰντες ὑμεῖς σκανδαλισθήσεσθε ἐν ἐμοὶ ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτη· γέγραπται γὰρ· Πατάξω τὸν ποιμένα, καὶ διασκορπισθήσεται τὰ πρόβατα τῆς ποίμνης. Πόθεν και τῷ Πέτρῳ καὶ τοῖς τοσοῦτος ἐγίνετο φόβος; Ἐταράχθησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ οὐχ ὡς ἐλαφροί τινες, ἀλλ' ὅτι πολλῆς ἔγεμεν ἀπορίας τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ δυσκατάληπτος ἧν ἡ γνῶσις τοῠ μυστηρίου τούτου, πῶς ὁ τοὺς νεκροὺς ἀναστήσας, καὶ μυρία ποιήσας σημεῖα ὑπὲρ ἄνρθωπον, εἰς οὕτως ἄτιμον παρεδόθη θάνατον. Οὕτος δὲ ἧν ὁ διὰ τοῠ προφήτου εἰρηκως· 'Πατάξω τὸν ποιμένα.' Διὸ καὶ ὁ Δαβίδ φησι πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, ὅτι ' Ὄν σὺ ἐπταξας, αὐτοὶ κατεδίωχαν.' Πλὴν οὐ πάντη τοῦτο καὶ πάντως γέγονε βουλήσει τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἀλλ' ἤθελε μὲν μὴ παθεῖν αὐτὸν, εἴγε προσεδέξαντο οἱ Ἱουδαῖοι· ἐπειδὴ καὶ οὐ προσήκαντο, ἀλλ' ἠθέλησαν φονεῦσαι, συγκατέθετο ὁ Πατὴρ τῷ Υἱῷ τοῦτο παθεῖν. Οὕτω δὲ νοητέον καὶ τὸ εἰρημένον πρὸς Πιλάτον ὑπὸ Χροστοῦ, ὅτι ' Οὐκ εἶχες ἐξουσίαν οὐδεμίαν κατ' ἐμοῦ, εἰ μὴ ἧν σοι δεδομένον ἄνωθεν· ἀντὶ τοῦ, μὴ συνῇνεσεν ὁ Πατὴρ ἑλομενῳ μοι παθεῖν. Ἅγιος Κύριλλος Ἀλεξανδρείας, Ἐξὴγησις Εἰς Τὸ Κατὰ Μαθθαιον Εὐάγγελιον, Κεφα Κϛ.

Then Jesus said to them everyone of you shall be scandalised because of me this night, for it is written, Strike the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered. 1,2   Why did Peter and the others fear? The disciples were troubled, and that not lightly, for they were greatly struck by confusion concerning the matter and the difficultly of gaining understanding of this mystery, how the dead might be resurrected and innumerable signs occur above the heads of men, so disgraceful did they admit death to be. And this was said through the Prophet, 'Strike the shepherd.' 2 And therefore David said to the Father, 'Whom you strike, they are overthrown.' 3 Except this was not at all what the Father wished, for he wished Him not to suffer, but the Jews took Him; indeed since they were not able to follow but wished to murder, the Father condescended that the Son suffer this. Thus it is to be understood what was said to Pilate by Christ, that ' You do not have any power over me unless it is given to you from above.' 4 That is, if my Father were unwilling that I suffer. Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Matthew, Chapter 26 1 Mt 26.31 2 Zachar 13.7 3 Ps 68 4 Jn 19.11