Matthew 15:21-28

Matthew 15:21-28 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  I've read and re-read this passage countless times, and I've yet to understand exactly what Jesus is teaching us here.  I've seen many interpretations, some of which say that Jesus was testing the woman, but I've never seen one that both satisfies my questions about the text and also engages with every part of the conversation.  Often, it feels like a band-aid over a gaping hole that leaves as many questions as it answered.
  At the end of the day, we don't have complete understanding of how Jesus is at work.  He does things we don't understand, and he saves in such a reckless way that we'll never be completely able to understand how and why he does what he does.  God is a mystery to us, and while he has revealed himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ, and the Scriptures are filled with stories and teachings that are meant to help us understand who God is and how God is at work, we'll never have a complete understanding.  God is doing things that we cannot fully grasp, and we have to trust God that those things are done in grace and in love.