But Jesus said to her, “Let the children first be filled, because it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
At first hearing, this saying seems harsh, yet it must be understood in the context of the whole narrative and of divine providence. Here Jesus shows the historical order of salvation, according to which the “children,” that is, the people of Israel, must first be satisfied, among whom the Messiah had been sent beforehand in accordance with the course of the covenant. The use of the word “dogs” here does not carry a very crude, contemptuous sense, but refers to small household animals (κυνάρια—little dogs), which somewhat softens the expressed thought. Christ puts the woman’s faith to the test so that it may be manifested more brightly. The Lord sometimes acts in this way, not to reject, but to bring the depth of the heart to light. At the same time, this saying shows that although salvation begins from the people of Israel, it is not limited to them, but the same path of grace is opened also before Gentiles who draw near with faith and humility, which is hinted at in this episode and receives its full unveiling in the later chapters of the Gospel.