Mark 8

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

1During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples over and told them, 2“I’m very concerned for these people. They’ve already been with me for three days, and they’ve run out of things to eat. 3I don’t want to send them away hungry, because if I do, they may be too weak to make it back home. I know that some of them have come a long way.”

4His disciples answered, “We’re in the middle of nowhere. Where could we get enough bread to feed this large crowd?”

5“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied.

6He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. He picked up the seven loaves and gave thanks to God, and then he broke them and gave them to his disciples. They passed the pieces of bread around to the people. 7The disciples also had a few small fish, so Jesus gave thanks for them and told his disciples to pass them around too. 8Everyone ate as much as they needed, and after that, the disciples picked up seven full baskets of leftover pieces. 9Just counting the men, 4,000 people were fed. Then Jesus sent the crowd away 10and got into a boat with his disciples. They went to the area of Dalmanutha.

11The Pharisees came and began to ask Jesus questions. They wanted to test him, so they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, it won’t be given any sign.” 13Then he left them, got back into the boat, and crossed over to the other side of the lake.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod

14The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15“Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.”

16The disciples talked this over among themselves and decided, “He must be saying that because we didn’t bring any bread.”

17Jesus knew what they were saying, and he asked them, “Why are you talking about not having any bread? Why can’t you see or understand? Is it because you don’t want to? 18Do you have eyes that still don’t see, and ears that still don’t hear? Don’t you remember? 19When I broke the five loaves for the 5,000, how many baskets full of pieces did you pick up?”

“Twelve,” they answered.

20“Later I broke seven loaves for the 4,000. How many baskets full of pieces did you pick up?”

“Seven,” they replied.

21He said to them, “Don’t you understand yet?”

Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida

22Jesus came with his disciples to Bethsaida, and there some people brought a blind man to Jesus and begged him to touch him. 23He took him by the hand and led him outside the village. Then he spit on the man’s eyes and placed his hands on him. “Do you see anything?” Jesus asked.

24The man looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees walking around.”

25Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes again, and when he opened his eyes wide, his sight was restored, and he could see everything clearly. 26Jesus sent him straight home, telling him, “Don’t even go into the village.”

Peter Says That Jesus Is the Messiah

27Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

28They answered, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others say one of the prophets.”

29“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”

30Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

Jesus Tells About His Coming Death

31Jesus then began to teach his disciples that the Son of Man would have to suffer a lot. He told them that the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law would reject him. He said that he would be killed, but that after three days he would rise again. 32He explained all this clearly. But Peter took him to one side and started to berate him.

33Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, and then he firmly put Peter in his place. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You’re not thinking about what God wants. You’re only thinking about what people want.”

You Must Pick Up Your Cross

34Jesus called the crowd to him, along with his disciples, and he said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple has to deny themselves, pick up their cross, and follow me. 35Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the good news will save it. 36What good is it if someone gains the whole world but loses their soul? 37What can anyone trade for their soul? 38If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

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