1In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, (Mt 15:32; Mr 6:32)2“I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. (Mt 9:36)3And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.”4And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?”5And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” (Mt 16:10)6And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. (Mt 26:27; Mr 14:23; Lu 22:17; Lu 22:19; Joh 6:11; Joh 6:23; Ac 27:35; Ro 14:6; 1Co 10:30; 1Co 11:24; 1Co 14:16; 1Ti 4:3)7And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. (Mt 14:19)8And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. (2Ki 4:42; Mr 8:5)9And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away.10And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.[1] (Mt 15:39; Mr 3:9)
The Pharisees Demand a Sign
11The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. (Mt 12:38; Mt 16:1; Lu 11:16; Lu 21:11; Joh 8:6; 1Co 1:22)12And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” (Mr 7:34; Joh 11:33)13And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side. (Mt 4:13; Mt 21:17)
The Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod
14Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.15And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”[2] (Mr 3:6; Mr 12:13; Lu 12:1; 1Co 5:6; Ga 5:9)16And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread.17And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? (Mt 26:10; Mr 6:52; Mr 7:18)18Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? (Isa 42:18; Isa 43:8; Jer 5:21; Eze 12:2; Mt 13:13)19When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” (Mr 6:41; Mr 6:44)20“And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” (Mr 8:6; Mr 8:9)21And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”
Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida
22And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. (Mr 6:45)23And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” (Mr 5:23; Mr 7:33; Joh 9:6)24And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.”25Then Jesus[3] laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.26And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.” (Mt 8:4; Mr 8:23)
Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ
27And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” (Mt 16:13; Lu 9:18)28And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” (Mt 14:2; Mt 17:10; Mr 6:14; Mr 9:11; Lu 9:7; Lu 9:8; Joh 1:21)29And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” (Mt 1:17; Mr 14:61; Joh 11:27)30And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. (Mt 12:16; Mt 16:20; Lu 9:21)
1During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said,2‘I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat.3If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.’4His disciples answered, ‘But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?’5‘How many loaves do you have?’ Jesus asked. ‘Seven,’ they replied.6He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so.7They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them.8The people ate and were satisfied. Afterwards the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.9About four thousand were present. After he had sent them away,10he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.11The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, 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, no sign will be given to it.’13Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.
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 that of Herod.’16They discussed this with one another and said, ‘It is because we have no bread.’17Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened?18Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember?19When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?’ ‘Twelve,’ they replied.20‘And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?’ They answered, ‘Seven.’21He said to them, ‘Do you still not understand?’
Jesus heals a blind man at Bethsaida
22They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.23He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spat on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, ‘Do you see anything?’24He looked up and said, ‘I see people; they look like trees walking around.’25Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.26Jesus sent him home, saying, ‘Don’t even go into[1] the village.’
Peter declares 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 replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, 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 predicts his death
31He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.32He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.33But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. ‘Get behind me, Satan!’ he said. ‘You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’
The way of the cross
34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.35For whoever wants to save their life[2] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.36What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?37Or what can anyone give in exchange 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.’