Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand
Mark 8In those days, again there was a very great crowd, and they had nothing to eat. Jesus called his disciples and said to them, “I have gut-wrenching sympathy for the multitude, because they have already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them to their home hungry, they will faint on the way, for some of them have come a long distance.”
His disciples answered him, “Where could anyone get enough bread here in a deserted place to satisfy these people?”
He asked them, “How many loaves do y’all have?”
They said, “Seven.”
He directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, then he broke them and gave them to his disciples to serve, and they served the crowd. They also had a few small fish. He blessed them, and he said to serve these also. The people ate and were satisfied. They took up seven baskets of broken pieces that were left over. About four thousand were there. Then he sent them away.
A Generation Seeks a Sign
Immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and came into the region of Dalmanutha. The Pharisees came out and began to question him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. He sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? I tell y’all, no sign will be given to this generation.”
He left them, got back into the boat, and departed to the other side.
The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod
They had forgotten to take bread, except for the one loaf they had with them in the boat. He warned them, saying, “Y’all watch out! Y’all beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.”
They discussed this with one another, saying, “It’s because we have no bread.”
Aware of this, he said to them, “Why are y’all talking about not having bread? Do y’all still not perceive or understand? Do y’all still have a hardened heart? Having eyes, don’t y’all see? Having ears, don’t y’all hear? Don’t y’all remember when I broke the five loaves among the five thousand? How many baskets full of broken pieces did y’all take up?”
They told him, “Twelve.”
“When the seven loaves fed the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did y’all take up?”
They said, “Seven.”
Then he said to them, “Do y’all still not understand?”
Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida
He came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and brought him outside the village. He spat on his eyes, laid his hands on him, and asked him, “Do you see anything?”
He looked up and said, “I see humans, but I see them like walking trees.”
Then he laid his hands on his eyes again. The man looked intently and was restored, and he began seeing everything clearly. He sent him to his house, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.”
Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Christ
Jesus and his disciples went to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do humans say that I am?”
They told him, “John the Baptizer, and others say Elijah, and still others, one of the prophets.”
He continued to question them, “But who do y’all say that I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”
Then he commanded them that they should tell no one about him.
He began to teach them that the Son of Humanity must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and that he must be killed, and after three days rise again. He spoke to them openly. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning around and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on human things.”
The Way of the Cross
He called the crowd to himself with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wants to follow after me, must deny themselves, and take up their cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it; and whoever wants to lose their life for my sake and the sake of the gospel will save it. For what does it profit a human to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? For what will a human give in exchange for their life? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Humanity also will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”