Mark 8

(1) Jesus Feeds 4,000

Around that time, there was another large crowd who had nothing to eat, so Jesus brought together his apprentices and told them,

“I feel bad for these people, because they’ve been here for three days and don’t have anything to eat. If I send them home like this, they’ll pass out on their way back. And some of them a long ways to be here.”

His apprentices replied,

“Where will anyone find enough food in this remote area to feed all these people?”

Jesus responded,

“How much food do you guys have?”

They said,

“We have seven loaves of bread.”

Then Jesus told everyone to have a seat on the ground. Then He took those seven loaves of bread, thanked God for them, then started breaking off pieces and handing them to his apprentices to pass out to everyone. There were also a few small portions of fish, so Jesus blessed them and told his apprentice to pass those out too. There were about 4,000 people there, but everyone in the crowd ate until they were full—and there were even 7 large baskets full of leftovers! After that, Jesus sent everyone back to their homes and got into the boat with His apprentices and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

(11) No Sign for Pharisees

Then the Pharisees came and started arguing with Him, because they wanted to see a sign from heaven to test Him. Jesus sighed deeply in His spirit and said,

“Why are these people looking for a sign? I assure you they won’t be given any.”

Then Jesus left them and went across the sea. 

(14) Apprentices Worry About Food Despite Having Jesus

Jesus and His apprentices forgot to take food with them on the boat and only had one loaf of bread on board. Jesus told them,

“Watch out for the Pharisees’ yeast and Herod’s yeast.” 

But His apprentices just started talking about how they didn’t have any food. Jesus knew what they were talking about so He asked,

“Why are you guys talking about not having food? Don’t you see and understand yet? Are your hearts calloused? You have eyes, but don’t seem to be seeing. And you have ears, but don’t seem to be hearing. Don’t you remember how many baskets of leftovers you picked up after I shared 5 loaves of bread with 5,000 people?”

They said “12.”

“And when I shared 7 loaves of bread with 4,000 people, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?”

They said “7.”

“Are you still not getting it?”

(22) Jesus Heals Blind Man

When they made landfall in Bethsaida, the people there brought a blind man to Jesus, asking Him to touch the man. Jesus took him by the hand and let him out of the village where He spit on the man’s eyes and placed His hands on him. Then Jesus asked him,

“Do you see anything?”

The man looked up and said,

“I see people! They look like trees walking around!”

Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes and the man started seeing clearly. He was restored and could even see things at a distance. Then Jesus sent him home and said,

“Don’t even go into town.”

(27) Jesus Asks Apprentices about His Identity

Then Jesus and his apprentices went to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way, He asked them,

“Who do people say I am?”

They replied,

“Some say that you’re John the Baptist or Elijah or one of the prophets.”

Then Jesus said,

“Yeah, but who do you say I am?”

Peter answered,

“You’re the Chosen One who will lead and save our people.”

Then Jesus warned them not to share that with anyone. 

(31) Jesus’s Way is to Die

Then He started teaching them that Humanity’s Son needed to suffer lots of things and be rejected by the elderly leaders, the chief priests, and the Bible scholars. Then He said that Humanity’s Son would need to be killed and rise back up after three days. He said all of it so matter-of-fact-ly that Peter pulled Him aside and scolded Him. But Jesus turned around to face his other apprentices, and said, 

“Get behind me, Enemy! You aren’t thinking about God’s way—only man’s.”

Then He called together the crowd and His apprentices and said,

“If you want to follow Me, you have to carry your tombstone and join me. Whoever wants to save his soul will end up killing it, but whoever kills his soul for the sake of Me and the good news will save it. How does it benefit you to obtain the entire universe but lose your soul? If you’re ashamed of Me and My philosophy in this God-neglecting era, then Humanity’s Son will also be ashamed of you when He goes back to his Dad’s brilliance with the sacred angels.”