Mark 8
8
More Than 4,000 People Fed
1Another time there was a great crowd with Jesus. They had nothing to eat. So Jesus called his followers to him. He said, 2“I feel sorry for these people. They have been with me for three days, and now they have nothing to eat. 3I cannot send them home hungry. If they leave without eating, they will faint on the way home. Some of them live a long way from here.”
4Jesus’ followers answered, “But we are far away from any towns. Where can we get enough bread to feed all these people?”
5Jesus asked, “How many loaves of bread do you have?”
They answered, “We have seven loaves.”
6Jesus told the people to sit on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and gave thanks to God. Jesus divided the bread and gave the pieces to his followers. He told them to pass out the bread to the people, and they did so. 7The followers also had a few small fish. Jesus gave thanks for the fish and told his followers to give the fish to the people. 8All the people ate and were satisfied. Then the followers filled seven baskets with the pieces of food that were not eaten. 9There were about 4,000 men who ate. After they had eaten, Jesus told them to go home. 10Then he went in a boat with his followers to the area of Dalmanutha.
The Leaders Ask for a Miracle
11The Pharisees came to Jesus and asked him questions. They wanted to trap him. So they asked Jesus to do a miracle to show that he was from God. 12Jesus sighed deeply. He said, “Why do you people ask for a miracle as proof? I tell you the truth. No miracle will be given to you.” 13Then Jesus left the Pharisees. He went in the boat to the other side of the lake.
Guard Against Wrong Teachings
14The followers had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. They had forgotten to bring more bread. 15Jesus warned them, “Be careful! Guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.”
16Among themselves, his disciples discussed the meaning of this. They said, “He said this because we have no bread.”
17Jesus knew what his followers were talking about. So he asked them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? You still don’t see or understand? Are your minds closed? 18You have eyes, but you don’t really see. You have ears, but you don’t really listen. Remember what I did before, when we did not have enough bread? 19I divided five loaves of bread for 5,000 people. Remember how many baskets you filled with pieces of food that were not eaten?”
They answered, “We filled 12 baskets.”
20“And remember that I divided seven loaves of bread for 4,000 people. Remember how many baskets you filled with pieces of food that were not eaten?”
They answered, “We filled 7 baskets.”
21Then Jesus said to them, “You remember these things I did, but you still don’t understand?”
Jesus Heals a Blind Man
22Jesus and his followers came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to Jesus and begged him to touch the man. 23So Jesus took the blind man’s hand and led him out of the village. Then he spit on the man’s eyes. He put his hands on the blind man and asked, “Can you see now?”
24The man looked up and said, “Yes, I see people, but they look like trees walking around.”
25Again Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then the man opened his eyes wide. His eyes were healed, and he was able to see everything clearly. 26Jesus told him to go home, saying, “Don’t go into the town.”# Some Greek copies continue, “Don’t even go and tell anyone in the town.”
Peter Says Jesus Is the Christ
27Jesus and his followers went to the towns around Caesarea Philippi. While they were traveling, Jesus asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
28They answered, “Some people say you are John the Baptist. Others say you are Elijah.# A man who spoke for God. He lived hundreds of years before Christ. And others say that you are one of the prophets.”
29Then Jesus asked, “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”
30Jesus ordered his followers, “Don’t tell anyone who I am.”
31Then Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things. He taught that the Son of Man would not be accepted by the Jewish elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of the law. He taught that the Son of Man must be killed and then rise from death after three days. 32Jesus told them plainly what would happen. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to criticize him. 33But Jesus turned and looked at his followers. Then he criticized Peter and said, “Go away from me, Satan!# Name for the devil meaning “the enemy.” Jesus means that Peter was talking like Satan. You don’t care about the things of God. You care only about things men think are important.”
34Then Jesus called the crowd to him, along with his followers. He said, “If anyone wants to follow me, he must say ‘no’ to the things he wants. He must be willing to die on a cross, and he must follow me. 35Whoever wants to save his life will give up true life. But whoever gives up his life for me and for the Good News will have true life forever. 36It is worth nothing for a person to have the whole world, if he loses his soul. 37A person could never pay enough to buy back his soul. 38The people who live now are living in a sinful and evil time. If anyone is ashamed of me and my teaching, then I will be ashamed of him. I will be ashamed of him when I come with the glory of my Father and the holy angels.”
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Mark 8: ICB
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.