8:1 In those days, once again there was a large crowd, and they had nothing to eat. So he called his disciples to him and said,

8:2 “I pity the crowd, because they have been with me for three days already and have nothing to eat.

8:3 And if I send them away hungry, they may faint along the way, because some have come a long distance.”

8:4 “Where would anyone get enough bread for them in this remote place?” asked his disciples.

8:5 “How many loaves do you have?” replied Jesus.“Seven,” they answered.

8:6 So Jesus had the crowd recline on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, gave thanks, and broke them up, then handed them to his disciples to set before the crowd.

8:7 They also had a few small fish, which he blessed and put before the crowd as well.

8:8 They all ate and were filled, and seven large baskets of leftovers were picked up.

8:9 Jesus dismissed them, about four thousand people in all.

8:10 Right away Jesus got into the boat with his disciples, and he went into the province of Dalmanutha.

8:11 The Pharisees came out to debate him, testing him by demanding that he give a sign from heaven.

8:12 He groaned deeply within himself and said, “Why does this generation look for a sign? I tell you truly, we’ll see if this generation will be given a sign!”

8:13 And with that he left them, getting into the boat and going to the other side.

8:14 Now the disciples had forgotten to buy bread, and all they had with them in the boat was one loaf.

8:15 Then Jesus sternly warned them, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod!”

8:16 They had been discussing among themselves why they had no bread.

8:17 But Jesus knew what they were discussing and said to them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don’t you get it? Are you that thick in the head?

8:18 “You have eyes but don’t see; you have ears but don’t hear!

8:19 Don’t you remember when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand people? How many baskets full of leftovers did you pick up?”“Twelve,” they answered.

8:20 “And when I broke the seven loaves for four thousand people, how many large baskets filled to the brim with scraps did you pick up?”“Seven,” they replied.

8:21 Then Jesus said, “So how can you not understand?”

8:22 When they arrived at Bethsaida, people brought a blind person to Jesus and begged him to touch him.

8:23 Taking him by the hand, he led him outside of the village, where he spit on his eyes and placed his hands on him. And he asked, “Do you see anything?”

8:24 He looked up and said, “I see people as something like trees walking around.”

8:25 So Jesus put his hands on the blind one’s eyes again, and the person could see normally; his vision was restored and he could see everything sharply.

8:26 So Jesus sent him home with the warning, “Don’t go into the village.”

8:27 Then Jesus and his disciples went off to the villages of Caesarea Philippi, and along the way Jesus asked them, “Who do the people say I am?”

8:28 “Some say John the Immerser, others Elijah, and still others, one of the prophets,” they replied.

8:29 “And who do you say I am?” he asked. Then Peter spoke up: “You are the Anointed!”

8:30 And Jesus ordered them not to say anything about him.

8:31 He began to teach them: “The Human must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, ruling priests, and scripture scholars. Then he is to be killed, and then he will rise after three days.”

8:32 After he had stated this explicitly, Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

8:33 Then Jesus turned around to look at his disciples, and he rebuked Peter: “Get out of my sight, Adversary! Your mind is not on God but on people.”

8:34 He gathered the crowd together with his disciples and said to them, “If anyone decides to follow me, they must renounce themselves, pick up their cross, and follow me.

8:35 For whoever decides to preserve their life will lose it, but whoever decides to lose their life because of me and the Gospel will preserve it.

8:36 What good is it to gain the whole world but forfeit one’s life?

8:37 Or what would a person give in exchange for their life?

8:38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and deviant generation, the Human will be ashamed of that person when he comes in the majesty of his Father, along with the holy Messengers.”