Something I like to do is read these Bible stories and put them into our language. It often produces a very different take on the passage. This is a good example.

This woman comes to Jesus begging him to heal her daughter.

Jesus: "I was only sent to Israel."

Woman: "So pretend I'm an Israelite. My daughter needs you!"

Disciples: "Go away. You're bugging him."

Woman: "I'm not talking to you clowns, I'm talking to him."

Jesus: (I see a tiny twinkle in his eye here.) "You don't take good food and feed it to dogs."

Woman: [Cynically] Oh really? Even dogs get to eat the crumbs that fall off the table. How about a few crumbs for my daughter?"

Jesus: [Grinning] "And there it is. Your faith is greater than any of these people who follow me day after day. Your daughter is fine, go see her."

A very different spin on a familiar story. The fact that she persisted in spite of everything tells me she wasn't afraid to get in his face a little, which of course is what he was after. He planned all along to use her as an example to squeeze more faith out of his peeps.

Pretty good. Not sure about the woman being cynical. I would say she was much more desperate. I like how she is continuously drawing nearer and refuses to be discouraged by anything said. Her love for her daughter and her faith in Jesus were very great.

The part that has longed just amazed me is the callous approach of the disciples. "She is bothering us."