One day, a woman from Canaan met Jesus. She begged Jesus to have mercy on her. She wanted Him to heal her daughter. Her daughter was being hurt by a demon. (Demons are bad spirits that try to keep people away from God.)Jesus did not answer the woman.

After a while, Jesus’ disciples begged Him to send the woman away. They did not like that she was bothering them. Jesus said, “I was only sent to help Israelites, not Canaanites.

The woman heard what Jesus said and knelt down in front of Him. She asked again, “Lord, help me.”

Jesus said, “It would not be fair for me to do a miracle for a Canaanite when I am supposed to be helping Israelites. That would be like taking bread away from hungry children and feeding it to dogs.”

The woman said, “That is true. But even dogs get to eat crumbs that fall off their master’s table.”

When Jesus heard this woman’s answer, He told her, “You have very great faith! Let it be just as you wish.” That very hour, the woman’s daughter was healed.

Here are some questions about the Gospel story:

1. A woman went to see Jesus. She said, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, and heal my daughter.” What did the woman ask Jesus to do?

2. The disciples wanted Jesus to send her away. Why?

3. Jesus said that he was sent to the people of Israel, and this woman was not from Israel.

4. But the woman asked Jesus again. Jesus said it would be like giving the children’s bread to dogs. The woman said that even the dogs eat. What do dogs eat when they sit by the table?

5. Finally, Jesus told her that she had great faith. Did Jesus heal her daughter, or not?