Are You Hungry?

Becky and I are “cat people”, but I grew up a cat and dog person. Winnie (dog) and Tiger (cat) were my childhood pets. How about you, are you a dog lover? Dogs can be so very loving and lovable, as evidenced in our world today. Some say “dog” is “God” spelled backwards because dogs portray so many of the amazing attributes of God: unconditional love, faithfulness, protection, etc. However, this is a relatively modern idea. In Scripture dogs are more likely associated with evil, compared to greedy men, sorcerers, whoremongers, murderers, and idolaters. They are considered unclean and are despised. So why? Why does Jesus call a Canaanite woman a dog? In response to her asking Jesus to heal her demon possessed daughter, he first ignores her, then Jesus says he’s only there for the “house of Israel,” and finally asks her why he should do anything for “the dogs.” Ouch! But maybe, Jesus is a dog lover, too?