take a number

i have never understood the conversation about dogs and bread between Jesus and the Greek woman until i read about it in Garland. i always thought that the conversation was literal and therefore made little sense. but knowing that it is a riddle (and the meaning of it) changes the text for me. there are still some difficulties in the text for me however. i have a hard time dealing with the fact that Jesus inserted a subtle insult in there by calling her a dog, what the jews called the gentiles. the woman is not bothered with the insult and knows that she is a dog, a gentile who has to wait for God to deal with the jews first. amazingly this does not bother her and she presses on, not taking no for an answer. she shows an incredible faith and a desire for Jesus, pusruing him no matter what might seem to stand in her way.