< Mark 8 >
1 In those days, when there was a very large crowd that had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples over and said to them,
2 “I have compassion on the crowd because they have stayed with me now for three days and have nothing to eat.
3 If I send them away to their homes without having eaten, they will faint on the way, for some of them have come from far away.”
4 His disciples answered him, “How can anyone feed these people with bread here in the wilderness?”
5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.”
6 So he commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground, and taking the seven loaves, he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to distribute, and they set them before the crowd.
7 They also had a few small fish. After blessing the fish, Jesus told the disciples to set them before the crowd as well.
8 The people ate and were filled, and the disciples picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven baskets full.
9 There were about four thousand men who had eaten. After sending them away,
10 Jesus immediately got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.
11 Then the Pharisees came and began to argue with Jesus, asking him for a sign from heaven, to test him.
12 Sighing deeply in his spirit, he said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
13 Then he left them, got into the boat again, and went away to the other side of the sea.
14 Now the disciples had forgotten to bring bread, and they had nothing with them in the boat except for one loaf.
15 Then Jesus gave them strict orders, saying, “Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
16 So they discussed this with one another, saying, “He must have said this because we have no bread.”
17 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts still hardened?
18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? Do you not remember?
19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” They said to him, “Twelve.”
20 “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” They said, “Seven.”
21 Then he said to them, “How is it that you do not understand?”
22 When Jesus came to Bethsaida, some people brought to him a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
23 So he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then he spit on the man's eyes, laid his hands on him, and asked him if he saw anything.
24 The man looked up and said, “I can see people, but they look like trees walking around.”
25 So Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes again and had him look up. Then the man's sight was restored, and he saw everyone clearly.
26 And Jesus sent him away to his house, saying, “Do not go into the village or tell anyone in the village what has happened.”
27 Then Jesus went on to the villages of Caesarea Philippi along with his disciples. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”
28 They answered, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others say that yoʋ are one of the prophets.”
29 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “Yoʋ are the Christ.”
30 And Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man 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.
32 He was stating the matter plainly, so Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33 But turning around and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind me, Satan! For yoʋ are not thinking about the things of God, but the things of men.”
34 Then he called the crowd over, along with his disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to follow me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the sake of the gospel will save it.
36 For what will it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but forfeits his soul?
37 Or what can a person give in exchange for his soul?
38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
