Jesus teased the woman so we could all witness her great spunk.

Thursday, 2/15/14

Jesus told the Phoenician woman that he could not give the bread of the children to dogs, meaning that his miracles could only be done for Jews. In St. Matthew’s version of the same story Jesus said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” When I was teaching this Gospel to Seventh Graders I asked the kids if it was right for Jesus to work only fro Jews. And most of them, knowing more than Jesus, said it was wrong.

Perhaps this story teaches us that things must be done at their proper time. Like, marriage is the right thing for men and women in love, but not when they are just thirteen.

Jesus certainly knew that the woman would stand up to him for the sake of her daughter, so he probably pretended to refuse her just so he could let the world see how much spunk the woman had. This story has me entertaining myself with memories of great spunky women I have known.