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8
Feeding the Four Thousand
1 In those days, when a great crowd had gathered, and not having anything to eat, Jesus, having summoned His disciples, said to them, 2 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been remaining with Me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I dismiss them hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from a great distance.”
4 Then His disciples answered Him, “From where will anyone be able to satisfy these people with bread here in this deserted place?”
5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”
And they said, “Seven.”
6 So He commanded the crowd to recline on the ground. And He took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, He broke them and was giving them to His disciples, so that they might set them before the people; and they set them before the crowd. 7 And they had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them before the people. 8 So they ate and were filled, and they took up an abundance of fragments, seven hampers full. 9 Now those having eaten were about four thousand. And He dismissed them. 10 And immediately stepping into the boat with His disciples, He came to the region of Dalmanutha.
The Pharisees Seek a Sign
11 Then the Pharisees came out and began to question Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him. 12 And sighing deeply in His spirit, He said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.”
Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod
13 And having dismissed them, and stepping into the boat again, He went away to the other side. 14 And they forgot to take bread, and except for one loaf, they did not have any with themselves in the boat. 15 Then He charged them, saying, “Look out, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
16 And they were reasoning among themselves, saying, “Because we have no bread.”
17 But Jesus, knowing about it, said to them, “Why are you reasoning because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Is your heart still hardened? 18 Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?”
They said to Him, “Twelve.”
20 “And when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many hampers full of fragments did you take up?”
And they said, “Seven.”
21 So He said to them, “How is it you do not understand?”
Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida
22 Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and implored Him to touch him. 23 And having taken the hand of the blind man, He led him outside the village, and having spit on his eyes, and having laid His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.
24 And when he looked up he said, “I see men like trees, walking.”
25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him to look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly again. 26 Then He sent him away to his house, saying, “Neither go into the village, nor tell anyone in the village.”
Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ
27 Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He was questioning His disciples, saying to them, “Who do men pronounce Me to be?”
28 So they answered, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.”
29 He said to them, “But who do you pronounce Me to be?”
Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.”
30 Then He warned them that they should tell no one about Him.
Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection
31 And He began to teach them that it was necessary for the Son of Man to suffer many things, and to be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and to be killed, and after three days to rise. 32 He was speaking this word with boldness. And Peter, taking Him aside, began to rebuke Him. 33 But when He had turned and saw His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Take up the Cross and Follow Him
34 And having summoned the crowd together with His disciples, He said to them, “Whoever is willing to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's, will save it. 36 For what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whosoever is ashamed of Me and My words among this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him, whenever He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

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© 2014 Dr. Paul W. Esposito