Jesus Heals a Woman’s Daughter

(Matt. 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30)

By Franice Stirling

Puppet: Dog

Props: Small table and bread crumbs

Dog is sitting under the table looking up hopefully. Some crumbs fall on the floor and it quickly eats them up.

Dog: I just love meal time.

Narrator: Of course, you get a nice bowl of food.

Dog: Oh, that is nice, but I was referring to when the children eat.

Narrator: Why do you like when the children eat?

Dog: They are messy.

Narrator: That sound disgusting, not nice.

Dog: I think it is nice. They spill, they drop, and they make crumbs - all over the floor.

Narrator: Oh, I see. And you are there to clean up the messes.

Dog: Right. And some of their messes are very tasty.  

Narrator: Well, I guess dogs have been doing that job for a long time.

Dog: Thousands of years, in fact.  Do you remember the woman who wanted Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter?

Narrator: At first Jesus didn’t say anything.

Dog: His disciples begged him to send her away, but he didn’t.  He said he was only sent to the people of Israel.

Narrator: Then the woman fell on her knees at his feet and begged for help.

Dog: Jesus pretended to be gruff.  He said, “I can’t take the children’s bread and throw it to their dogs.”

Narrator: The disciples thought the woman was like a dog and only Jews should get the special miracles that Jesus performed.

Dog: The woman wasn’t put off, though.  She said, “The little dogs get the crumbs that the children drop.”

Narrator: I can imagine Jesus smiled at that reply.

Dog: Jesus told her that she had great faith and her daughter was healed.

Narrator: And her daughter was healed that very moment.

Dog: Oops! I just love meal time.

Narrator could be a person or another animal.