When God sent Israel into exile, it wasn’t merely punishment but a plan to bring the blessings of the covenant to the whole world. Since Israel was dispersed, the knowledge of God was able to spread through the whole world. In doing so, Israel was tasked with bearing the suffering of the whole world. Since they failed, Jesus instead bore that suffering and exile on the cross (“my God, my God, why have you forsaken me”) and so fulfilled the role of Israel in the world. As the new Israel and those who are in Christ, it is our responsibility to bear the sufferings of the world on its behalf. Suffering for the sake of other people has always been the most effective way that the Church bore witness to the Gospel.