The figure of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah, despite his suffering and the physical brutality visited on him, is a serene, dignified, and majestic figure. He was willing to endure so much because he knew that it would benefit others. Suffering is bearable when it has purpose and meaning. Having the heart and mind fixed on God also fills one with courage and strength. This is not intended to glorify or justify suffering and injustice but to exalt loving self-sacrifice. Jesus was able to be a compassionate high priest for us because he had suffered and struggled. Through this suffering he learned obedience to God. Jesus understands us because he faced everything that is part of the human experience but without sin. Our own suffering can also have redemptive value when we allow it to transform us. By accepting our experience with patience, love, and forgiveness we learn wisdom, humility, and holiness that can be used for the benefit of others. In John's gospel Jesus insisted that laying down our life for others - even in a figurative sense - is the greatest form of love possible. Jesus was the master of such love and we are the students. Each day gives us opportunities to lay down our life - it is truly a liberating and joyful experience.