Once again, Jesus has been accosted by Pharisees for failing to strictly follow the traditional rituals for washing and eating. Once again, Jesus patiently explained the larger concept of “defilement” to a clueless crowd and even denser disciples. Little wonder an exhausted Jesus decides to “get out of Dodge.”

Leaving Galilee and heading northwest, Jesus’ departure took him to the Mediterranean coast, the pagan territory of Tyre and Sidon. Both these cities have to their scriptural record several aspersions cast on their disreputable status. Matthew’s text takes Jesus to the “district” or “region” of these cities, but appears to avoid having him actually enter into them.

There is some grammatically based debate over whether Jesus actually stepped into Gentile territory, or whether he simply…