matthew 15...the syrophoenician woman

wow, what a chapter.  i could spend time exploring traditions i have (and that christians have) that get in the way of following God.  that could be "fun".  or i could spend time looking at what Jesus is saying about the heart.  or maybe the feeding of the four thousand.  seriously, did you not already see this miracle done with even more people and you have to ask how it's done?  or even the significance of the 12 baskets left after the feeding of the 5 thousand and the 7 baskets left after the feeding of the 4 thousand.

but i'm not going to.  the story of the syrophoenician woman has always "intrigued" me.  i get that Jesus is jewish and the was working through the jews to bring salvation to all people.  so i get his focus on the jews.  but this isn't the first gentile to come to him asking for help.  what's with Jesus calling her a dog?  i've heard explanations like...

- it was like calling her a little puppy (nice and cute).

- it wasn't a bad term because she was a gentile and gentiles had pet dogs - and we all know how much we like our pets

- this was just Jesus being a jewish man and not respecting this syrophoenician woman.

all of those have sounded off to me for some reason or another.  for me, it seems more like a teaching moment for the disciples.  they are the ones that said to send her away.  and Jesus has always seemed to be there for anyone in need.  i think Jesus was saying what the disciples were thinking.  so in their minds they would know the outcome and be completely wrong.  and be thrown back on their heels.  they would be cheering about her being a dog.  but then be shocked with Jesus' response of her faith and the kindness he showed to her.  i think this is something the disciples needed to learn and think through.  after all, there were going to take leadership of this movement that was to be extended to the gentiles.  they would have to learn that we aren't dogs and that we too have faith, and that God loves us - even though we're gentiles.