Mark 7:24-30

        Mark 7:24-30 has always confused me. When reading it in the English translation, it appears that Jesus is being uncharacteristically harsh with someone who is coming to Him for healing. The New International Version has it written as: "... a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at His feet. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. 'First let the children eat all they want' He told her, 'for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.'" - Mark 7:25b-27 NIV

        Whenever I read this passage, I imagined a dismissive tone of voice. The image I had of the dog was a dirty, ragged, unkept dog. The type that would be wandering around the streets, looking for scraps. However, while I was studying this chapter, I read this portion in my Amplified Bible, which presents the text in a translation that is much closer to the true meaning behind the Greek and Hebrew. The text I read completely changed how I envision this scene.

        

        "And He said to her, 'First let the children be fed, for it is not becoming or proper or right to take the children's bread and throw it to the [little house] dogs'" - Mark 7:27, the Amplified Bible 

        Those two words, "little house", changed this scene completely. It went from feeding strays to feeding a pet. Wanting to make sure this wasn't a single interpretation, I looked in some of my other study Bibles. In my Apologetics Study Bible, there is a note for this section that lists the Greek word used here, which is "kunaria". Kunaria, according to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, means a puppy or a pet dog, with the word used to differentiated the subject matter from the standard stray street dogs.

        The image in my mind changed from tossing scrap pieces out for strays to a picture of my dad saving choice scraps from his meal for his favorite dog, my sister's Husky. Instead of howling dogs in the streets, I imagined my own dog who lies behind me, patiently waiting to clean off my plate once I'm done. Our pet dogs are part of our family, only a bit different from us. They sleep around us, cuddle with us, go for walks with us, play with us, and spend most of their lives with us. They don't get the meal at the beginning, but they are still fed.

        With this new image, the meaning behind the passage finally started to make sense. I believe Jesus was reiterating something He already made clear; He had come first to the Jews but was not only for the Jews. The children in this story are the Jewish people, and the meal is His presence among them and God's great mercy. And so He is saying "It's not right for me to leave My people, to whom I've come, and go out only to the Gentiles."

        I also believe Jesus said all this so it could be remembered and recorded by His disciples. When He had risen and was no longer among them, they could remember His words here and the answer given by this Gentile (non-Jew) woman.

        So what did the woman say? "'Lord', she replied, 'even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.'" - Mark 7:28 NIV

        I believe this woman understood what Jesus was saying. She understood Jesus was telling her that she was a part of the family, but also telling her where His calling was for His earthly ministry. But she wasn't going to simply leave it at that. She knew that crumbs fell for the pet dog, and she wanted those crumbs to fall for her daughter. She had faith that Jesus could heal. And Jesus did.

        "Then He told her, 'For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.'" - Mark 7:29 NIV

        I believe Jesus intended to heal the daughter from the first moment the woman asked. The reason He took the time to speak as He did with the woman? While I can't be sure, I believe it was to show His disciples, and us, that the mercy of God is for everyone. The focus shouldn't be on the children or the dogs, but on the meal. The bread reaches them, and us, all. First it came to the Jews and spread beyond to the Gentiles. But all are fed, and all are brought into the family of God.