Bread of Life--and now
you are worried about your stomachs!" Tempers cooled as quickly as they
had risen. "Do you not understand the meaning of the things I do?" asked
Jesus.

"You are right. Master," said James, shamefaced. "We should not worry
about food."

"Is that all I mean to you?" asked Jesus. "You do not understand why I
fed the people, do you?"

* * * * *

Simon and John brought the boat to land at a deserted spot near the
fishing village of Bethsaida, and Jesus led the men north along the
Jordan toward the Lebanon Mountains. For three days they traveled,
finally reaching the narrow valleys of the foothills of the Lebanons.
The land was hilly but very fertile. Many people lived here: a few Jews
but many gentiles. The disciples had never traveled this far north
before. As the mountains grew higher, they turned westward toward the
Mediterranean Sea. Jesus chose this road because he believed he could
find privacy in which to teach the disciples.

However, things were not as Jesus hoped. About ten miles from Sidon, a
gentile city on the seacoast, they passed through a small village. The
disciples thought they had not been recognized, but a short distance
beyond the town John said, "There is someone following us!"

The others glanced around. A woman was coming after them. "Let us hurry
on," said Simon. "Perhaps she will drop back." All of them quickened
their pace. After a moment Simon glanced around again. "She is running
after us!"

The woman cried out: "O thou Son of David! Have pity on me!"

Jesus paid no attention. "Have mercy on me, Son of David!" cried the
woman desperately. "My daughter has an evil spirit!"

Still Jesus walked on. "Send her away, Master," said Simon. "She is just
going to keep on wailing behind us."

Jesus stopped. "God has sent me only to the lost sheep of the flock of
Israel."

"And she is a gentile," said James with satisfaction. When the woman
overtook them, he was sure Jesus would send her away.

Kneeling, the woman said, "Do help me, Lord!"

The disciples were taken back. How did she dare call him "Lord"! Who did
she think he was?

When Jesus spoke to the woman his voice was kindly, but the words seemed
harsh: "Woman, it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it
to the dogs under the table."

_That will show her she has no right to bother us_, thought James.

But James was mistaken. "No, Master," the woman answered smiling,