As for Jesus lack of empathy I would like everyone to turn their Bibles to Matthew 15:21-28
I am not saying he wasn't a teacher who wanted to show people a different way of doing or thinking. He was a genius, but still he was a narcissist and a cult leader but being a genius still does not excuse his narcissism.
It is my opinion that Jesus show a profound lack of empathy in this incident. He withholds what this woman needs until he extracts what he wants from her. He wants her to validate his superiority over her and fulfill his narcissistic supply.
Total narcissistic move on Jesus' part
I disagree that this has anything to do with narcissism. I do agree that he does not express empathy, but he does help her.
She asks him to "have pity" on her. He seems to refuse to view her with pity.
Whether you interpret a "demon" to be an actual entity, or a big problem with an unknown cause, coming from somewhere else -- the very concept of a demon causing trouble puts the person in a role of victim -- something bad, coming from somewhere else.
He does appear to withhold help at first, but only until she asserts that she deserves what she is asking for. At that point she seems to be abandoning the victim role and providing a reason as to why he ought to help her. As soon as she provides the argument that she is worthy (even just a little bit) of what she is asking for, the daughter get better immediately. The story does not actually say that Jesus did anything.
She sees his help as valuable, and she is very open to receive it.
He does not refer to himself when he answers her insistence that she ought to get something from him (Matthew 15:28) "Jesus then said in reply, 'Woman you have great faith! Your wish will come to pass.' That very moment her daugther got better."
He refers to her faith.
(I think that he is acknowledging that there is a connection between the person and their condition, not as blame, but a connection that can be affected by exercising faith, or assuming the ability to participate -- to respond, response-ability. Instead of merely leaving her with a perception of victimhood and him coming in to "save the day" he left her with some understanding that she may be able to use in the future.)
She is talking about scraps. Yet, he calls her faith "great." It looks like faith does not have to be present in massive amounts, just genuine in nature.
Additionally, I see this story as building upon a previous instruction by Jesus in a story that you had also pointed out. But we did not look at the end of that story. I am referring to Matthew 12:43-45.
After referring to Jonah, Jesus cautions against jumping in and evicting an "unclean spirit" because it will roam in search of a place to rest, and finding none will return to where it began, but "with seven spirits more evil than itself."
I see this as a very practical instruction about cause and effect. What you send "out there" IS going to come back around, only bigger and better or bigger and worse -- depending upon the nature of what you send "out there."
In that story, he had already shown his disciples that they should not be, what we may call today "enablers." Basically, you can cause more harm than good by simply saving people from the results of their actions, if you do not also help them to understand their own connection to the cause of the matter. If a "demon" returns to find a dwelling unoccupied, it looks like the situation that created an opening for the problem has not been resolved and replaced with a better understanding -- one that would have no room for that problem.
I think this is practical and useful information, even if not soft and squishy and "feel good."
