If you want to really understand the Biggest Story, sometimes you need to learn new words. Here are two you may not have heard before: Jew and Gentile.

In the Bible, the Jews were God’s special people. They were children of Abraham. They received the law from Moses. They had David as their king. They were waiting for a messiah from their midst. To belong to God has always been about faith. But for most of the Bible’s big story, the Jews were the ones who knew God’s ways and had God’s promises. The disciples were all Jews. Jesus was too.

If you weren’t a Jew, you were called a Gentile. When Jesus came, he made a lot of people upset (and a lot of people happy!) by offering God’s grace to everyone. Being a Jew didn’t get you in, and being a Gentile didn’t keep you out. If your family knew God for a thousand years, you still needed to follow Jesus. And if your family never knew God before, you could still follow Jesus. Both Jews and Gentiles are sinners. Both need forgiveness, and both need faith.

Which brings us to one of the boldest and bravest women in the Bible. We don’t know her name, but we know she was a Gentile.

One day, Jesus slipped into a house to take a little breather. But as you already know, it was very hard for Jesus to get any breaks. No sooner had Jesus entered the house than a woman came and fell at his feet. She begged Jesus to help, for her daughter had an unclean spirit.

You might think that Jesus would do what he had done before and heal the girl right on the spot. But he didn’t. Instead, Jesus said something very strange. “I need to help the children first,” Jesus told the woman. “I can’t be taking the children’s bread and throwing it to the dogs.” Jesus wasn’t talking about kids and pets. He was talking about Jews and Gentiles. He was saying, “I’m here for my people, the Jews, not for the Gentiles.”

What a mean thing for Jesus to say!

Except, he didn’t really mean it. He was testing the woman. And wow, did she pass the test! “Yes, Lord,” she said, “I see your point. But even the dogs under the table get a few crumbs.” That was her way of saying, “I may be a Gentile, but you can help me too.”

And Jesus did help her. Right on the spot. “O woman, great is your faith!” Jesus said. “I’ll do exactly what you asked for.” And at that very moment, her daughter was healed.

Jesus came for everyone. He wants us to ask and believe.