The Pagans

 "When JESUS left that place, HE went to the border of the Tyrian country.  There, HE entered a house, and do not want anyone to know HE was there; but HE could not remain hidden.  A woman, whose small daughter had an evil spirit, heard of HIM, and came and fell at HIS feet.  Now this woman was a pagan, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged HIM to drive the demon out of her daughter.

JESUS told her, 'Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the puppies.'  But she replied, 'Sir, even the puppies under the table eat the crumbs from the children's bread.'  Then JESUS said to her, 'You may go your way; because of such a response, the demon has gone out of your daughter.'  And when the woman went home, she found her child lying in bed, and the demon gone." - Mark 7:24-30 

(The authorities come into conflict with JESUS.  HE must depart and wander along the border of Galilee, where HE is less watched and can easily flee.  This incident occurs near Tyre, a province occupied by the Syrians and Phoenicians.

The Jews were never able to understand their election by GOD as HIS chosen people without looking down on other nations.  Being bearers of the true faith obliged them to avoid contamination with other religions, but actually this increased their inability to understand all that was foreign.

For them the world was divided in two: there were "the people" [Jewish] and "the nations": all the others.  Apparently GOD ignored these others, unless it was to let them feel the weight of HIS justice.  Their minds were totally closed to the question we ask ourselves today: how does GOD deal with and save all those who have not heard HIS word?  So it was that the Phoenicians, [also called Greeks because they spoke Greek rather than Hebrew] lived near but were very distant from the Jews.

Although JESUS came to save all, HIS FATHER desired that HE not go beyond HIS own country.  Nevertheless, on certain occasions HE encountered pagans, and more than once admired their simplicity and faith.

The Gospel has not kept all that JESUS said and did, but we see nothing there that could be a call to "change one's religion" nor a threat for those who take a road other than that of Christianity.  JESUS leaves them on the path along which the FATHER leads them and invites them to thank the one and only GOD and shows them how near the FATHER is to them through HIS Son.

The Jews usually looked down on pagans with marked contempt: they were the sons, the pagans were the dogs.  JESUS answered the afflicted woman repeating this well-known scornful saying.  HE said this to test the woman's faith: would she insist when it appeared that even GOD would reject her?)

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