Mark 8
Open in the reader1In those days the crowd once again became very large, and they had nothing to eat. He-Who-Is-Saves called the apprentices to Him and said,
2“I have compassion for this crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat.
3If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a great distance.”
4His apprentices replied, “Where in this desolate place could anyone find enough bread to feed all these people?”
5“How many loaves do you have?” He-Who-Is-Saves asked. “Seven,” they replied.
6And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then He took the seven loaves, gave thanks and broke them, and gave them to His apprentices to set before the people. And they distributed them to the crowd.
7They also had a few small fish, and He-Who-Is-Saves blessed them and ordered that these be set before them as well.
8The people ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
9And about four thousand men were present. And when He-Who-Is-Saves had dismissed the crowd,
10He immediately got into the boat with His apprentices and went to the district of Dalmanutha.
11Then the Separated-Ones came and began to argue with He-Who-Is-Saves, testing Him by demanding from Him a sign from heaven.
12He-Who-Is-Saves sighed deeply in His spirit and said, “Why does this generation demand a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
13And He left them, got back into the boat, and crossed to the other side.
14Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat.
15“Watch out!” He cautioned them. “Beware of the leaven of the Separated-Ones and of Herod.”
16So they began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread.
17Aware of their conversation, He-Who-Is-Saves asked them, “Why are you debating about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Do you have such hard hearts?
18‘Having 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 basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect?” “Twelve,” they answered.
20“And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect?” “Seven,” they said.
21Then He asked them, “Do you still not understand?”
22When they arrived at House-of-Fishing, some people brought a blind man and begged He-Who-Is-Saves to touch him.
23So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then He spit on the man’s eyes and placed His hands on him. “Can you see anything?” He asked.
24The man looked up and said, “I can see the people, but they look like trees walking around.”
25Once again He-Who-Is-Saves placed His hands on the man’s eyes, and when he opened them his sight was restored, and he could see everything clearly.
26He-Who-Is-Saves sent him home and said, “Do not go back into the village.”
27Then He-Who-Is-Saves and His apprentices went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way, He questioned His apprentices: “Who do people say I am?”
28They replied, “Some say He-Who-Is-Has-Shown-Favor the Baptist; others say My-God-Is-He-Who-Is; and still others, one of the prophets.”
29“But what about you?” He-Who-Is-Saves asked. “Who do you say I am?” Stone answered, “You are the The-Anointed-One.”
30And He-Who-Is-Saves warned them not to tell anyone about Him.
31Then He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and that He must be killed and after three days rise again.
32He spoke this message quite frankly, and Stone took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.
33But He-Who-Is-Saves, turning and looking at His apprentices, rebuked Stone and said, “Get behind Me, The-Adversary! For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
34Then He-Who-Is-Saves called the crowd to Him along with His apprentices, and He told them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.
35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the good news will save it.
36What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
38If anyone 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 His Father’s glory with the devoted messengers.”