Nigeria, June 28 -- In the scriptures, the women are largely exemplary, but the men are ingrates. The disciples, especially, were a terrible lot. They specialised in driving people away from Jesus. They were determined to preserve their exclusive relationship with Jesus.

When they brought little children to Him, so that He would bless them, the disciples tried to drive them away. When the Samaritans denied Jesus an easy passage to Jerusalem, the sons of Zebedee asked Jesus to send fire from heaven to destroy them.

One of them, Judas, betrayed Jesus. Another one, Peter, denied Him. All of them ran away when He was arrested. They did not believe the report that He had risen from the dead.

True to form, they told Jesus to rebuke the Canaa...