But Jesus received the importunities of this representative of a despised race in the same manner as the Jews would have done; this was not only to prove the faith and sincerity of the woman, but also to teach his disciples a lesson of mercy, that they might not be at a loss how to act in similar cases after Jesus should leave them and they could no longer go to him for personal counsel. Jesus designed that they should be impressed with the contrast between the cold and heartless manner in which the Jews would treat such a case, as evinced by his reception of the woman, and the compassionate manner in which he would have them deal with such distress, as manifested by his subsequent granting of her petition in the healing of her daughter. {2SP 302.1}

Men Jesus lyttede til den bøn, som kom fra en kvinde der tilhørte et foragtet folk, ligesom Jøderne ville havde lyttet til den. Dette gjorde han ikke alene for at sætte kvindens tro og oprigtighed på prøve, men også for at lære sine disciple barmhjertighed, så at de ikke skulle være tvivlrådige om, hvorledes de skulle handle i lignende tilfælde, efter at Jesus havde forladt dem, og de ikke længere kunne henvende sig til ham om råd. Jesu hensigt var, at de skulle få et dybt indtryk af den modsætning, der var mellem den kolde og hjerteløse måde, hvorpå jøderne ville behandle en sådan bøn, hvilket viste sig i hans opførsel mod kvinden og den kærlige måde, hvorpå han ønskede, at de skulle behandle sådanne nødlidende, hvilket han viste, idet han til sidst opfyldte hendes begæring og helbredte hendes datter.