A woman who was not a Jew came to Jesus and asked Him to heal her daughter who was tormented by an evil spirit. Jesus told her He focused on healing the Jewish people. (The Jewish people would then later take the teachings of Jesus to everyone else. Paul was a Jew.) But with her bold words and faith she convinced Him she too should have access to His healing.

Mark 7:

25 Right away a woman who had heard about him came and fell at his feet. Her little girl was possessed by an evil spirit, 26 and she begged him to cast out the demon from her daughter.

Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia, 27 Jesus told her, “First I should feed the children—my own family, the Jews.  It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

28 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates.”

29 “Good answer!” he said. “Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone.