One way to help us appreciate Jesus as the Lord of Suffering is to turn to the Old Testament book called Lamentations. The historical context of this book revolves around Solomon’s temple, which was destroyed in 586 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar’s army. The book of Lamentations is the funeral song, the lament, of that destruction.

In the first chapter of Lamentations, verse 12 stands out. This verse contains a call and a question. The call is to “look around and see”—to behold and consider this occasion of suffering at the Lord’s hand. The question pertains to the effect of the call on your heart. “Is it nothing to you?” In our day we might ask, “Are you fazed by this at all?”

I remember when one of my daughters started gymnastics. The first week on the uneven bars, her palms were red with open blisters. Her hands were not used to being exposed to the harsh contact. They were very sensitive. Just weeks later, she had no problem. Why? A person’s hands ...