Readings: Isaiah 53:10-11; Psalm 33; Hebrews 4:14-16; Mark 10:35-45
In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, Victor Frankel (V.F.) describes his experience in the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Dachau where he lived from 1942 to 1945. While in these camps he was assigned to slave labor and later he served in his professional capacity as a physician. He served first as a general practitioner and later in his specialty as a psychiatrist.
When he had lost everything else he learned that one thing remained his: “The last of the human freedoms- to choose one’s attitude in any given circumstance, to choose one’s own way.” (V.F.) In the midst of his suffering, Frankel chose to serve others. He found meaning in what he suffered. “In some ways, suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment, it finds meaning, such as the meaning of sacrifice.” (V.F.) I believe this helps one to understand the role and purpose of the suffering servant as described in our reading from Isaiah.
More than a legal atonement for the sins of others the sacrifices of the innocent servant serve in two more important ways. First, the suffering of others is lessened in the sharing of the burden of pain, the literal meaning of compassion – ‘to suffer with.’ In this, we are not condemned to suffer alone. Secondly, in the acceptance of his plight and in choosing to find meaningful service the servant provides an example to others who share his circumstances. We learn what Victor Frankel learned, suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds meaning.
The message for us as believers is that we have a God who is, first of all, a compassionate servant. This is the clear message in Isaiah, and clearer still reflected in the life of Jesus. Not only this, Jesus is the model of the servant leader as highlighted in the Gospel selection a couple of weeks ago. As Jesus tells the disciples in our Gospel for this week, that the Son of Man came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for the many. (cf Matthew 10:45) This is not only Jesus’ role, but it is the calling of all who profess the Christian faith – this is how the Gospel is best proclaimed to the world. As we model our lives on Jesus, others will be inspired by our faith to likewise serve the kingdom- the world as a whole.
The challenge in the midst of suffering is to remain strong in faith, hope, and love. There is one story in Frankel’s book about a time when 14 young boys were to be hung as punishment for some minor infraction of the camp rules. The entire camp population was made to face the gallows and to watch as they were hung. While the boys were jerking and twitching at the ends of their ropes one inmate shouted out, “Where is God? WHERE IS GOD?” After a brief pause, another inmate pointed in the direction of the dying boys… “There…, There is God.” This is one story from the book I will never forget. In the midst of our suffering, we are never alone – God is with us. We do not have a distant God who stands aloof. God is always close to us and God experiences everything that we experience – especially in the midst of our suffering and pain.
In closing know that there is another reason to face suffering head-on. It is often when we face our suffering due to failure, relapse, death, and woundedness that we will experience true transformation. Suffering is a harsh teacher, but suffering is often the only thing strong enough to effect lasting change in our lives. When I can be honest about where I have failed, where I have sinned, where I have denied my own truth; it is then that I can begin the journey out of darkness into the light. Avoiding truth, medicating pain, and isolating myself from others is a hopeless path and only serves to increase my pain and the pain I inflict on others. Let us pray not pray for easy solutions or cheap grace. Let us pray instead for the harsh grace and strength to face our fears and the hard lessons of transformation. God promises that we will not have to face our suffering alone.
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