This is the New Testament picture of Jesus--the suffering servant, a man who lives as a lackey and dies in disgrace. He is spurned, avoided, treated as a leper, a born loser. He is one stricken by God, publicly beaten, whipped by disgusted, righteous society. Eliminate Him, they say; He is distasteful. Drive Him across the tracks, out of town, out of society. He is roughly handled, pushed around, taken out, killed and buried among evildoers. -Brennan Manning