Out Of Order?

In today’s Gospel Lesson, a Canaanite woman pleads with Jesus for help. “O Lord, Son of David,” she cries out,”have mercy on me; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.” At first Jesus ignores her plea. And because the woman is not a Jewess, Jesus’ disciples tell Him to send her away. Jesus seems to agree. He reminds her of the popular impression of His ministry. “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel,” He says. But the woman persists. She kneels down and pleads, “Lord, help me.” Then, using the disdainful word the Jews applied to the Gentile “pagans” in those days, Jesus replies, “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” To which the woman replies, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs from their master’s table” (Mt. 15:25,26,27). And it is this observation of that woman that leads us to the point of emphasis in today’s Lesson.…