Mark 7 has Jesus exploding all over the religious leaders’ views of what is “in” and what is “out.” What is “proper” and what is “improper.”

Then, it’s lived out in the story of Syrophoenician woman. She has come to beg Jesus to cast a demon out of her daughter. Jesus has never hesitated to cast out demons. Here, he does. And he insults the woman along the way. She was a Gentile.

It was proving a point with the disciples. They were all too ready to reject the woman because of who she was. Her need didn’t matter to them.

But she kept at it. When Jesus insulted her, she stayed with the request. Finally, he slams her by saying it wasn’t right to give the children’s food to the dogs.

²⁸ But she answered, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

²⁹ “Good answer!” he said. “Go on home. The demon has already left your daughter.” ³⁰ When she returned to her house, she found the child lying on the bed and the demon gone. (Mark 7:28-30, CEB)

Jesus responds to an “unclean” woman because of her tenacious faith.

While the “religious” people were complaining to Jesus about this, that, and the other this unclean woman was in pursuit of an answer. She was tenacious. She wasn’t giving up. She came to the Kingdom out of need. And the Kingdom didn’t disappoint.

How are we coming to Jesus? With our complaints? With our gripes? With our views of perfect theology and pointing out the flaws in others?

Or, are we coming in desperate need for the Kingdom to touch us with power?

Which one could illicit the response: “Good answer”?