24From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, 25but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. 26Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” 28But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” 30So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. (Mark 7:24-30, NRSV)
What would you do for your children?
This passage has always troubled me. Why would Jesus call this woman a dog? Even if it is a term for a pet, and not the slang term many said these two different groups would call each other. It just seems a stretch for the God of all creation to refer to his creation this way. Maybe it was a test…
And I wonder if it was a test and we were tested int his way, would we pass?
Would we have the fortitude and insight this mother has to say that while I might be a dog to some, even dogs deserve to be treated with love and understanding?
We all deserve love and understanding.
Gove what you want to the world.
aSacredRebel 