Mark 8:1-7, 9-21

In those days, when there was again a large crowd [gathered before Him] and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples and told them, [Matt 15:32-39] “I feel compassion for the crowd; they have been with Me now for three days and have nothing [left] to eat. If I send them away to their homes hungry, they will faint [from exhaustion] on the road; because some of them have come a long way.” His disciples replied to Him, “Where will anyone be able to find enough bread here in this isolated place to feed these people?” He asked them, “How many loaves [of bread] do you have?” They said, “Seven.” He directed the people to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and [repeatedly] gave them to His disciples to set before them, and they served the crowd. They also had a few small fish; and when Jesus had blessed them [and given thanks], He ordered these [fish] to be set before them as well.

About four thousand [men] were there [besides women and children]; and He sent them away. Then immediately He got into the boat with His disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. The Pharisees came out and began to argue [contentiously and debate] with Him, demanding from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him [because of their unbelief]. He groaned and sighed deeply in His spirit and said, “Why does this generation demand a sign? I assure you and most solemnly say to you, no sign will be given to this generation!” Leaving them, He again boarded the boat and left for the other side. Now the disciples had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. Jesus repeatedly ordered them, saying, “Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” They began discussing this with one another, saying, “It is because we have no bread [that He said this].” Jesus, aware of this [discussion], said to them, “Why are you discussing [the fact] that you have no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? [Is 6:9, 10] THOUGH YOU HAVE EYES, DO YOU NOT SEE? AND THOUGH YOU HAVE EARS, DO YOU NOT HEAR and LISTEN [to what I have said]? And do you not remember, [Jer 5:21] when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?” They answered, “Twelve.” “And [when I broke] the seven [loaves] for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they answered, “Seven.” And He was saying to them, “Do you still not understand?”

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