Bread for Dogs

One of the most troubling narratives in the gospels comes up this Sunday:

Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." But she answered him, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." Then he said to her, "For saying that, you may go-- the demon has left your daughter."

At the beginning of the week it's good to ask, What do we make of Jesus' apparently harsh interaction with this Gentile woman?