Jesus left the area of Galilee and went to the region of Tyre. Tyre is a major port on the coast outside the area conquered by the Israelites.
Jesus is trying to maintain a low profile and is in a house with his disciples.
A Greek woman born in Syrian Phoenicia hears that Jesus is in town and visits the house. Her daughter is demon-possessed at home. It is not exactly clear where exactly she is in proximity to Jesus, but she begs Jesus to heal her daughter. Jesus says nothing. The disciples get annoyed with her begging and ask Jesus to send her away.
This is relatable to the New York sidewalk cafe dining experience when a homeless person approaches the cafe patrons for food or money. It can make people uncomfortable and they hope the cafe staff will intervene and send the person away.
Jesus' answer is interesting. He says, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel". Given the context, this appears to be the answer to the disciples request to send her away.
The woman then comes, kneels directly to Jesus, and pleads. He says that it is not right to take the children's bread and give it to the dogs.
The woman replies that even the dogs eat the scraps from the table.
At this, Jesus tells her that she has great faith and her daughter is healed. She returns to her home and finds the demon has left her daughter.
This account is perplexing because it seems to suggest that Jesus is fostering the racial stereotypes and tension of the region. Further, it seems that Jesus might be calling this woman a "dog".
However, the healing of the woman shows the opposite, that Jesus is not a racist. Likewise, the initial reluctance of Jesus seems to be in contrast to when Jesus approached the woman at the well or when Jesus healed the centurion.
So, why the initial reluctance? Jesus has gone to a Canaanite region so it is understandable that Canaanites would come to Jesus.
One possibility is that this is not so much about the woman, but rather about the disciples. Jesus has already empowered them to heal the sick and past out demons, so why are they not stepping forward to do something? They have already seen Jesus heal Gentiles, so they know that Jesus has a heart for them. Rather, they come to Jesus because they are annoyed and want her to go away.
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