Why did Jesus liken Pagans to dogs?

Answer 1

The analogy was made because of the fact that most pagans did not worship the One Eternal God. However, they were still creatures Made By the Same God, so they were more akin to a "family pet" rather than God's Children, until God was Revealed to them.

Answer 2

I think you're referring to Mark 7:24-30, which says:

"Jesus went to the vicinity of Tyre. ... A woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. "First let the children eat all they want," he told her, "for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs." "Lord," she replied, "even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs." Then he told her, "For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter." She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone."

At that time, the Jews considered Gentiles to be unclean (or defiled like dogs) because they weren't ritually cleansed as the Jewish laws say. Jesus was saying that he came first for the Jews, and the woman understood what he meant. But, because her faith in him was so strong, Jesus made her daughter free of the demon (similar to John 2:1-12). And since Jesus died for all, whoever accepts him. they are accepted by him.

"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:28, 29)

Answer 3

The noun "dog" and "dogs" had been used for many centuries by the Jews. In the Old Testament, dogs were scavengers equated with impurity - they left corpses unburied. To call someone a dog as a strong insult, in first and second Samuel and in Psalm 22. Also, the word was specifically used for male prostitutes (Deut 23:18).

In the New Testament, it continues to represent worthlessness and impurity, as Our Blessed Lord used it in Matt 15:26-27. And when Our Blessed Lord uses it in the story of Lazarus, He is using it to point out his pitiful state. (Luke 16:21). Finally the Apocalypse uses all the above (both O.T. and N.T. references) in Apoc (Rev) 22:15 to indicate that the dogs will be excluded from the Kingdom.

Answer 4

It seems so out of character for Jesus to speak of a person in this way, especially when that person had sought help from him. The reference originates in Mark's Gospel, which is based on a parallel structure across the entire gospel. Mark 6:33-8:21 form an integrated set of passages with ten references or allusions to food, including a summary by Jesus of the two feasts in 8:19-21, maintaining a consistent theme of food, plus a minor theme of not understanding:

• Jesus and the disciples had no leisure so much as to eat , so they went into a desert place (6:31-32)
• Feeding the 5000 (6:33-44)
• When Jesus walked on water the disciples were amazed, for they considered not the miracle of the loaves (6:45-54)
• Pharisees complain about the disciples eating with unwashed hands (7:1-8)
• Discourse - what goes into a man goes into his belly and does not defile (7:9-23)
• Greek woman metaphorically begs for crumbs from the table (7:24-30)
• Feeding the 4000 (8:1-9)
• Disciples are hungry and have only one loaf of bread (8:13-14)
• Jesus warns the disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees and they reason, "It is because we have no bread," showing they do not understand (8:15-17)
• Summary by Jesus of the two feasts (8:18-21)

In Mark 7:24-30, the pagan woman had a daughter with an unclean spirit and asked Jesus to help. He replied that he would rather help the children of Israel than the 'dogs' (pagans). In response the woman said, "Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs." And he said unto her, "For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter." This remarkable passage incorporates the theme of food with a demonstration of Jesus' powers.

A parallel structure is a literary sequence in which an opening set of events is contrasted with another, parallel set that mirrors the first. In Mark's Gospel, the above group of passages forms an important pair (pair R) with the Last Supper:

A . John explains the coming of Jesus (Mark 1:1-8)

B .The baptism of Jesus (1:9)

C . The voice of God from heaven, "Thou art my beloved son" (1:11)

D . The forty days in the wilderness as an allusion to Elijah and Moses (1:13)

E . The people were astonished at what Jesus taught (1:22)

F . Jesus casts out an unclean spirit (1:23-26)

G . Pharisees took counsel with the Herodians how they might destroy Jesus (3:6)

H . Demons, whenever they see Jesus, fall down and say that he is the Son of God.

-- Jesus commands that they tell no one of this (3:11-12)

I .. Jesus calls the 12 disciples (3:13-19)

J .. Jesus rejects his own family: he has a new family, his followers (3:31-35)

K . Jesus rebukes the wind (4:36-41)

L . The demoniac, wearing no clothes (5:15), cries out that Jesus not torment him and Jesus sends out the demons (5:1-20)

M . Jesus comes into his own country (6:1)
-- Where he was brought up

N . The people misunderstand Jesus and he can do no mighty work (6:2-6)

O . Jesus sends out the disciples and curses those who will not receive them (6:7-11)
-- in sending the disciples with authority and expecting all to receive them, Jesus is asserting his own authority

P . Herod thinks that Jesus is John the Baptist risen from the dead (6:14)

Q . Herodias and her daughter conspire to kill John the Baptist (6:16-29)

R . Feeding the thousands, and related miracles and discourses (6:33-8:21)

S . Who do people say that I am (8:27)

T . Peter affirms faith in Jesus as the Christ (8:29)

U . Whosoever shall be ashamed of me: of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed (8:38)

V . The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and scribes (8:31a)

W . Be killed and after three days rise again (8:31b)

X . Prophecy of second coming (9:1)- Jesus tells the disciples that some of them would not taste death until they saw the kingdom of God coming with power.

B' .The Transfiguration of Jesus (9:2-3)

C' .The voice of God from heaven, "This is my beloved son" (9:7)

D' . Jesus talks to Elijah and Moses then to the disciples about Elijah (9:4-13)

E' .A great multitude was amazed at Jesus (9:15)

F' .Jesus cast out a dumb spirit (9:17-27)

G' .They shall kill the Son of man and he shall rise on the third day (9:31)

H' .Jesus clarifies his divine status, saying that he is not God: "Why call me good? There is none good but God" (10:18)

I' . Peter says the disciples have left all and followed Jesus (10:28)

J' . Those who have left their family for Jesus have a new family: all Jesus' followers (10:29-30)

K'. Jesus rebukes the 'sons of thunder', James and John (10:35-45 - cf 3:17)

L' .Blind Bartimaeus cries out for mercy and casts off his clothes, then Jesus heals him (10:46-52)

M' .Jesus comes into Jerusalem (11:1-10)
-- Where he will die

N' .Jesus misunderstands the fig tree that can provide no fruit (11:13-14)

O' .Jesus casts out them that sold and bought in the Temple and curses them for making the Temple a den of thieves (11:15-17)
-- Jesus is asserting his authority

P' .Jesus asks whether the baptism of John is from heaven or of men, and the priests, scribes and elders can not answer (11:30-33)

Q' .Parable of husbandmen who conspire to kill the vineyard owner's son (12:1-9)

X' .Prophecy of second coming (chapter 13)

-- on clouds of glory, within the lifetimes of some of those to whom he was speaking

R' .The Last Supper (14:17-25)

S' .Art thou the Christ, Son of God (14:61)

T' .Peter denies Jesus three times (14:66-72a)

U' .And when he thought thereon, Peter wept (14:72b)

V' .The chief priests, elders and scribes delivered Jesus to Pontius Pilate (15:1)

-- Delivering Jesus is a similar concept to rejecting him.
-- Both parts of the pair involve chief priests, elders and scribes

W' .Jesus dies and on the third day rises again (15:37, 16:6)

A' .The young man explains the departure of Jesus(16:6-8)

The story of the gentile woman was copied in turn by the author of Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 15:22-28), but some changes and additions mean that the literary structure is lost in the copying.