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Feeding Thousands

The crowd in those days was very large, and they had no food.  Jesus called His disciples to Himself, saying, “I have compassion for these people, because they’ve stayed with Me for three days now, and they have nothing to eat.  If I send them home without food, they’ll collapse on the way, because some of them have come from far away.”

But His disciples asked Him, “Where in this desolate area is anyone going to find bread to feed all these people?”

And He asked them, “How many flat loaves do you have?”  And they said, “Seven.”

So He told the crowd to sit down on the ground.  And taking the seven flat loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, giving the bread to His disciples, so they could serve.  And they served the bread to the people.

They also had a few small fish.  Blessing them, He said they were to be given out also.  Then the people ate and were satisfied. About four thousand had been fed, but the gathered up leftovers filled seven baskets. Then He sent the people home. 

Religion & Politics

Jesus and His disciples got into the boat right away, and went into the Dalmanutha area.  There the Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, tempting Him, insisting that He give some sign from [God]. 

Sighing deeply in His spirit, He said, “Why is this generation demanding a sign?  I tell you the truth, see if any sign is given to this generation!”  So He left them, getting back into the boat, and crossing over to the other side of the sea.

Now the disciples had forgotten to buy any bread, and they had no bread with them in the boat, except one loaf.  And He was warning them, saying, “Look, you must watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees, and for the yeast of Herod.”

Reasoning this out among themselves, they said, “We brought no bread.”

And realizing this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you talking about having no bread?  Have you still not understood, or put any of the pieces together?  Are your hearts still thick-skinned?  Having eyes, can you not see?  And having ears, can you not hear?  Don’t you even remember when I broke the five flat loaves to feed the five thousand?  How many baskets did you fill with the leftovers?”

And they said, “Twelve.”

“And when the four thousand were fed with seven loaves, how many baskets of remaining pieces you did pick up?”

And they said, “Seven.”

Then He said to them, “Don’t you begin to understand?”

He now arrived at Bethsaida.  And someone brought a blind man to Him, calling out for Jesus to touch the man.  Taking hold of the blind man’s hand, He led him forward, right out of the village.  When He had spit on the man’s eyes and placed His hands on him, Jesus asked him if he could see anything.  Looking up, the man said, “I can see people walking.  They look like trees.”

So He placed His hands on his eyes again, then made him look up.  And his sight was fully restored, so that he saw everything clearly.  Then He sent the man home, saying, “Don’t go into the village, and don’t tell anyone in the village.”

Then Jesus and His disciples left the area, traveling [by foot] to the villages of Caesarea Philippi.  Along the way He questioned His disciples, asking them, “Who do people say that I am?”

And they said, “John the Baptizer.”

“And some say Elijah.”

“But others think You’re one of the prophets.”

Then He asked them, “But you, who do you say I am?”

And Peter spoke up, saying to Him, “You are the Messiah!”

And Jesus warned them, that they should tell no one who He was. 

Jesus Says He Must Die

He then began to teach them that it was necessary for the Son of Man to suffer greatly, and to be rejected by the elders, ruling priests and Scribes, and to be killed, and after three days to rise up again.  And He explained these things clearly and openly.

Then pulling Him aside, Peter tried to stop Him from saying such things.  But Jesus turned around to look at His disciples and then rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan!  Your thoughts are not for the things of God, but only for what matters to people.”

And calling the whole crowd [that walked along with them] to Himself with His disciples, He said to them, “Whoever chooses to be My disciple must lay down his own life, take up his cross, and follow Me.  For everyone who desires to protect his life will lose it.  But whoever dies to his own self for My sake, and for the Good News, this one will save his life.

“After all, what good will it do a person to gain the whole world, if he destroys his own life?  Or what will a person give in trade for his very life?  Therefore, if anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, then the Son of Man will also be ashamed of that person, when He arrives with the holy angels in His Father’s glory.”

Then He said to them, “Truly, I say to you, that some are standing here who will by no means taste of death until they have seen God’s kingdom arrive with power.”