One thing that comforts me about the suffering that Christ went through (and, to a lesser extent, what little suffering I go through) is that that suffering opens the way to an infinite amount of joy. We can think of happiness as a product of intensity X time. Fun activities provide a good deal of happiness intensity, but only for a short while, while more rewarding activities may grant a less intense happiness for a longer period of time. Righteousness, forgiveness, and redemption are all greatly rewarding. Qualifying for the Celestial Kingdom, and helping us qualify for it, will give us, and Jesus, a grant deal of happiness that will last for an eternity. Such an intense kind of happiness, multiplied by an infinite amount of time, equals an infinite amount of joy. And such a reward is probably worth a relatively small amount or duration of suffering.
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