Some scholars seek to name what the Jesus of history actually said and did as can be reliably stated according to scientific historiography. The scene of Jesus encounter with the Syro-Phoenician woman has the ring of an actual event according to historians since it doesn’t paint Jesus in a positive light according to their standards. I, for one, love this scene. It shows Jesus as someone aware of his limitations — he couldn’t do everything as a human being so he would concentrate on what he should do. And it shows Jesus’ willingness to learn, to grow, to develop. He was open to the input from this woman that made him see things in a different light. Truly a moment of Incarnation… and a model for us.
