In the gospel passage for this week Jesus appears to change his mind. A Canaanite woman begged him to heal her daughter. At first he was unwilling to do so because he needed to give his energy to the Israelites. However he was impressed by the woman's faith and agreed to her request (Matthew 5:21-28). Religion is the ultimate comeback king in terms of what is considered to be newsworthy. However it tends to be the extreme elements that get reported. Arguments and fanaticism are an endless source of fascination to journalists. This story belies the social caricature of religious people given in the press. Jesus was operating in a social context where protocol forbade a gentile woman from even speaking to a Jewish man, much less a famous religious teacher like him. Yet he was still willing to listen to her and to rethink his position - courtesy and conviction run well together. Lord Jakobovitz said, during a debate in the House of Lords, "It was from schools that had confidence in their Christianity that I learnt an answering pride in my own Jewishness and I discovered that those who best appreciate other faiths are those who treasure their own."

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