1In those days, when there was again a large crowd and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them,
2“I have compassion on the crowd, because they have already been with me for three days and have nothing to eat.
3And if I send them away to their homes hungry, they will collapse on the way, for some of them have come from a distance.”
4And his disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread here in this desolate place to satisfy these people?”
5And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.”
6And he instructed the crowd to recline on the ground. And taking the seven loaves, he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and they set them before the crowd.
7They also had a few small fish; and after blessing them, he said to set these before them as well.
8And they ate and were satisfied. And they picked up seven large baskets of leftover broken pieces.
9Now 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 region of Dalmanutha.
11And the Pharisees came out and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
12And sighing deeply in his spirit, he said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
13And leaving them, he got into the boat again and went to the other side.
14Now they had forgotten to take bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
15And he was warning them, saying, “Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
16And they were discussing with one another that they had no bread.
17And aware of this, he said to them, “Why are you discussing that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened?
18Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?
19When 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 for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they said, “Seven.”
21And he said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
22And they came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him.
23And taking the blind man by the hand, he 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?”
24And he looked up and said, “I see people, but I see them like trees, walking around.”
25Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again, and he looked intently and was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
26And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”
27And Jesus and his disciples went out to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am?”
28And they told him, “John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”
29And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to him, “You are the Christ.”
30And he strictly warned them to tell no one about him.
31And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
32And he was speaking this message plainly. And Peter, taking him aside, began to rebuke him.
33But he, turning and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men.”
34And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
35For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
36For what does it profit a person to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?
37For what can a person 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.”
Open in the interactive reader →