Tell me what today's gospel mean. I NEED IT?

Question

long answers will be very much appreciated

At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.

And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out,

“Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!

My daughter is tormented by a demon.”

But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her.

Jesus’ disciples came and asked him,

“Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”

He said in reply,

“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, “Lord, help me.”

He said in reply,

“It is not right to take the food of the children

and throw it to the dogs.”

She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps

that fall from the table of their masters.”

Then Jesus said to her in reply,

“O woman, great is your faith!

Let it be done for you as you wish.”

And the woman’s daughter was healed from that hour.

Answer 1

The woman asked for Jesus' help but Jesus treated the woman harshly as if she were a dog because she was a stranger to Him and was not on His initial list of people to whom to preach and save (Israelites) . (It is just like a homeless person came up to you and asked for money; Wouldn't you be suspicious of his/her use for the money?) Jesus was testing the woman to see if she really had faith in Him and needed His help or if she just wanted it.

The is just a test of faith.

Answer 2

The context of the passage is the plan of salvation for gentiles (non-Jews) and Jews. This was a big concern of the early church of the first century.

Jesus says "I was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel [Jews]" and "It is not right to take the food [salvation/ redemption/ healing] of the children [Jews] and throw it to the dogs [gentiles]."

"God's plan" was for Jesus to make God's salvation available to the Jews first, and then open it up to the gentiles, after Peter's Vision in Acts.

What's striking about this passage is that usually Jesus chides others for being close-minded/ conventional about who should receive salvation/ healing: "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners (Mk 2:17)", "He who is not against us is for us (Mk 9:40)", "Let the children come to me (Mk 10:14)". Here, however, Jesus sides with the disciples that the woman should be kept away. This was a line he was not willing to cross. Her response changes his mind.

She responds in humility, accepting the identity of gentile-dog.

Her faith is so great that she is assured that God has something to give her, even in the face of Jesus (God) claiming there is not.

I think the meaning of the passage is that the abundance of God's grace and the power of ones Faith are greater than any limitation upon them.