Flabbergasted are the disciples at the way Jesus is behaving. This woman wants help. She keeps on crying out, yet He answers her not a word. How can Jesus be so cruel? “Send her away!” the disciples say to Jesus. They don’t mean, “Get rid of her”; the words mean, “Release her!” In other words, “Help her! Answer her prayer.”

But He doesn’t. Isn’t that about what we expect, if we bother to pray? Nothing seems to come of it.

Why doesn’t Jesus answer this woman right away? …