A BITE OF BURGER

A woman whose people Jesus hadn't taught yet begged Jesus to save her sick little girl. "I was sent only to help the chosen ones of God," Jesus told her. "Lord, even dogs eat the leftovers from their masters' tables," she answered. Jesus saw how much faith she had, and He healed her daughter.

Your dad just cooked hamburgers outside on the grill. They're big and juicy, and you can't wait to eat one. But the minute you take a bite, your dog or cat is right next to you, wanting their share.

Everyone loves good things -- all people and all their animal friends. But in a way, that's something Jesus had to learn -- and He did, in this week's Gospel (Matthew 15:21-28).

Since Jesus was Jewish, when He started teaching people about God, He started with people who were Jewish. But like loving a good hamburger on the grill, people who weren't Jewish loved what Jesus taught just as much as the Jewish people.

When you're having a barbecue in the summer, you might forget to include your pets until they beg. That's kind of the lesson Jesus learned: When someone who wasn't Jewish begged Him to share a miracle with her and help her daughter, it was a reminder to Jesus to share with everyone.

Of course, people aren't like animals. You might give your pet a little bite of your burger. That's all the woman Jesus met asked for -- just a little help. But Jesus realized that people don't deserve to be treated like animals.

People deserve a good burger when they want one, and a good miracle when they need one!