He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. (Isaiah 53:3)

Many Christians understand Isaiah to be speaking of and pointing toward Jesus. The suffering servant is born to bear the sins of the world.

Many Jews understand Isaiah to be speaking metaphorically of the ideal Israel. The chosen people will be reborn to redeem the world.

In either case, Isaiah teaches that the path of healing involves the acceptance and transcendence of pain.

Freud suggested that God was little more than a manifestation of a Father-figure that will punish or reward depending on our behavior.

Freud's observation accurately describes the stance of many self-proclaimed believers. In the face of pain many believers reflexively assume they are being punished for cause.

This is not the God of Isaiah. Here the greatest suffering is experienced by the innocent: "Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain." (Isaiah 53:10)

"Out of his anguish, he shall see light; he shall find fulfillment through this knowledge." (Isaiah 53:11)

You can listen to "He was Despised" from the Messiah performed by the countertenor Alfred Deller.