Insults and mistreatment are certainly not pleasant. Who enjoys harsh words or unjust behaviour? And yet both Jesus and Isaiah's Suffering Servant seem to be willing to look beyond it, for they see their role as healing, encouraging, and redeeming others. The Suffering Servant is undeterred by human cruelty and rejection, for He knows He is doing God's work: listening to the struggles of others and offering words of comfort to the weary. Jesus knows that His time has come. He even knows who His betrayer is. But He does not stop Judas, for He also knows that somehow this has to be. Humanity's redemption is at stake. Suffering for its own sake is not to be romanticized, excused or spiritualized. Resignation or fatalism just gives in to suffering and usually results in anger and resentment. But we should know that when we begin a spiritual journey and a commitment to a life of service and commitment to justice, resistance and negative treatment often result. This is not a cause for discouragement, but a sign that we are doing something right! The world has seldom understood or appreciated the ways of God. Let us set our minds on God's kingdom and its righteousness, and continue the Way that Jesus taught us.