First let the children be satisfied, for it is not right to take the bread of the children and throw it to the little dogs.—Mark 7:27.
On one occasion, Jesus and his apostles were in the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon. While there, they met a Greek woman who begged Jesus to heal her daughter. At first, Jesus ignored the woman. But when she kept on insisting, Jesus told her the words of today’s text. (Mark 7:24-26) Why did Jesus at first refuse to help this woman? Was Jesus testing her to see how she would react, giving her an opportunity to display her faith? His tone of voice, although not revealed in the written text, did not discourage her. His use of the term “little dogs” softened the comparison. So perhaps Jesus was acting like a parent who intends to grant a child’s request but withholds any outward sign of that intent in order to test out the child’s seriousness. Whatever the case, once the woman expressed her faith, Jesus willingly granted her request.—Mark 7:28-30. w10 10/15 1:10, 11
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