In the first reading, the writer of Hebrews uses the metaphor of a father disciplining his children to explain suffering. According to him, because we are called to be sons and daughters of God, we share not only in the saving work of Jesus, but also in Jesus' sonship. So, just as God wanted to bring His Son to maturity by way of his suffering, God also wants to bring us, whom He loves, to maturity in faith by learning from our suffering.

Perhaps, one of the greatest experiences of suffering that Jesus himself encountered was to be rejected by his own people in Nazareth. They, whom he expected to know better than most people, did not only not believe in him or his message, but totally rejected him. Jesus was amazed at the lack of faith of the people of Nazareth. But this did not cause him to have doubts about the Father's love for him or about himself and his ministry. He learns from the experience, and moves on courageously with his mission.

Often, the sufferings that we encounter can cause us to doubt God's love for us or the purpose of our existence. At times like this, it is essential to see suffering as part of our lives and our faith. Through it, God is teaching us and bringing us to maturity as His sons and daughters. Even when Jesus could not fully understand God's purpose for his life, Jesus always surrendered his will to the Father. May we also learn to do the same.