Feeding Four Thousand
1In those days there was again a large crowd, and they had nothing to eat. He called the disciples and said to them, 2“I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a long distance.”
4His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread here in this desolate place to feed these people?”
5“How many loaves do you have?” he asked them.
“Seven,” they said. 6He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground. Taking the seven loaves, he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people. So they served them to the crowd. 7They also had a few small fish, and after he had blessed them, he said these were to be served as well. 8They ate and were satisfied. Then they collected seven large baskets of leftover pieces. 9About four thousand were there. He dismissed them. 10And he immediately got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.
The Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod
11The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, demanding of him a sign from heaven to test him. 12Sighing deeply in his spirit, he said, “Why does this generation demand a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13Then he left them, got back into the boat, and went to the other side.
14The disciples had forgotten to take bread and had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15Then he gave them strict orders: “Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 16They were discussing among themselves that they did not have any bread. 17Aware of this, he said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact you have no bread? Don’t you understand or comprehend? Do you have hardened hearts? 18Do you have eyes and not see; do you have ears and not hear? And do you not remember? 19When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of leftovers did you collect?”
“Twelve,” they told him.
20“When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of pieces did you collect?”
“Seven,” they said.
21And he said to them, “Don’t you understand yet?”
Healing a Blind Man
22They came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. 23He took the blind man by the hand and brought him out of the village. Spitting on his eyes and laying his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?”
24He looked up and said, “I see people — they look like trees walking.”
25Again Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes. The man looked intently and his sight was restored and he saw everything clearly. 26Then he sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.”
Peter’s Confession of the Messiah
27Jesus went out with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the road he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”
28They answered him, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, one of the prophets.”
29“But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?”
Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” 30And he strictly warned them to tell no one about him.
His Death and Resurrection Predicted
31Then he began to teach them that it was necessary for the Son of Man to suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and rise after three days. 32He spoke openly about this. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33But turning around and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are not thinking about God’s concerns but human concerns.”
Take Up Your Cross
34Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it. 36For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life? 37What can anyone give in exchange for his life? 38For whoever 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.”