Enduring Trials

Ἐν τῷ ἐπικαλεῖσθαί με εἰσήκουσέν μου ὁ θεὸς τῆς δικαιοσύνης μου ἐν θλίψει ἐπλάτυνάς μοι... ̓Πλατύνει δὲ ἐν θλίψει ὁ θεὸς οὐ παύων τὴν περίστασιν, οὐκ ἀνατρέπων τοὺς κακοῦντας ἀλλὰ παρέχων μεγαλοψυχίαν γενναίως φέρειν τὰ περιστατικά. κατὰ ταύτην τὴν διάνοιαν ἀκουστέον καὶ τὸ Πολλαὶ αἱ θλίψεις τῶν δικαίων καὶ ἐκ πασῶν αὐτῶν ῥύσεται αὐτούς, ὑπομονὴν χαριζόμενος. ἐστι δ' ὅτε καὶ ἔξω τῶν περιστάσεων ποιεῖ τὸν μεγαλοψύχως πρὸς τὰς περιστάσεις στάντα ὡς τὸν ̓Ιωσὴφ καὶ τὸν ̓Ιὼβ ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν περὶ οὐ τὰ προκείμενα. Uἱοὶ ἀνθρώπων ἕως πότε βαρυκάρδιοι ἵνα τί ἀγαπᾶτε ματαιότητα καὶ ζητεῖτε ψεῦδος... Υἱοὶ ἀνθρώπων περίφρασίς ἐστι, ὡς παρ' Ἕλλησι τὸ, Υἵες Ἀχαιῶν Πολλὰ δὲ τοιαῦτα φέρεται καὶ ἐν τῇ Γραφῇ: ὧν ἐστιν καὶ τὸ Βροτὸς γὰρ γεννητὸς γυναικός, καὶ τὸ ̓Εν γεννητοῖς γυναικῶν ̓Ιωάννου οὐδεὶς μείζων ἐστίν. καὶ αὖται γὰρ αἱ λέξεις ἀντὶ τοῦ ἄνθρωποι εἴρηνται. Kαὶ γνῶτε ὅτι ἐθαυμάστωσεν Kύριος τὸν ὅσιον αὐτοῦ Ἧ οὐ θαυμαστοῦται ὁ ὅσιος τοῦ θεοῦ ὅτ' ἂν θλίψεις φέρῃ μεγαλοψύχως δοκούσας ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον εἴναι ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅτ' ἂν ἐπικαλούμενος θεὸν ἐπινεύοντα εὐθέως ἔχῃ; Ἄπερ πάντα ἀγνοεῖ ὁ βαρείαν καρδίαν, τουτέστι νόησιν μετὰ κακίας ἔχων. Ἧ περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ εἴρηται πρὸς ̓Ιουδαίους ὁ λόγος διὰ τὸ βαρυκάρδιον οὐκ ἔτι θεοῦ ἀλλ' ἀνθρώπων υἱούς, πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἐθαυμάστωσεν Kύριος τὸν ὅσιον ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ πληρώσας προφητείας, παραδόξων δυνάμεων γενομένων δι' αὐτοῦ ἔτι μὴν καὶ ἀναστάντος ἐκ νεκρῶν. Γνώσεσθε δὲ ἀποβαλόντες τὸ βαρυκάρδιον καὶ ἐρευνήσαντες τὰς περὶ τοῦ ὁσίου Γραφάς· ἐρευνήσασι γὰρ ὑμῖν ἡ καινότης τοῦ πνεύματος εὑρεθήσεται. Δίδυμος Αλεξανδρεύς, Εἰς Ψαλμούς, Ψαλμος Δ´ Source: Migne PG 39.1165c-d

I called on you, you heard me, God of my righteousness, in times of trials you enlarged me 1 God enlarges in tribulations, not stopping the trial or turning away the evils, but supplying greatness of soul to bear them nobly. According to this understanding let it also be understood: 'Many are the tribulations of the righteous and He delivers them from every one,' 2 and that by bestowing endurance. And when apart from trials He makes someone great souled to stand against trials, as Joseph and as Job, it is for things to come. Sons of men how long shall you be heavy of heart and love vanity and chase after lies? 'Sons of men' is a periphrasis, referring to the Gentiles, just as 'sons of the Achaeans.' And many such things are given so in the Scriptures, so 'mortals', and 'born from a woman', and in like manner: 'none born of woman are greater than John.' 3 And these words are spoken for 'men'. And know that the Lord has magnified His holy one. It is not to be wondered that the holy one of God bears trials with greatness of soul which seems to be beyond the endurance of men, and certainly that when calling on God he receives immediate attention, but the heavy heart is ignorant of all such things, that is, he who has a wicked mind. Now if this is addressed to the Jews concerning Christ, then on account of heaviness of heart they are not sons of God but of men, for not for them did the Lord magnify His holy one, in Him and by Him fulfilling the prophecies and bringing forth astonishing miracles through him, even to the resurrection of the dead. Know that the removal heaviness of heart is the seeking of the things written of the holy one, for in your seeking you will find a newness of spirit. Didymus the Blind, Commentary on The Psalms, from Psalm 4 1 Ps 4.2 2 Ps 33.20 3 Mt 11.11