Mark 8–9

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

8During those days another large crowd gathered. They had nothing to eat. So Jesus called for his disciples to come to him. He said, ²“I feel deep concern for these people. They have already been with me three days. They don’t have anything to eat. ³If I send them away hungry, they will become too weak on their way home. Some of them have come from far away.”

⁴His disciples answered him. “There is nothing here,” they said. “Where can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”

⁵“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied.

⁶He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. He took the seven loaves and gave thanks to God. Then he broke them and gave them to his disciples. They set the loaves down in front of the people. ⁷The disciples also had a few small fish. Jesus gave thanks for them too. He told the disciples to pass them around. ⁸The people ate and were satisfied.

After that, the disciples picked up seven baskets of leftover pieces. ⁹About 4,000 men were there. Jesus sent them away. ¹⁰Then he got into a boat with his disciples. He went to the area of Dalmanutha.

¹¹The Pharisees came and began to ask Jesus questions. They wanted to put him to the test. So they asked him for a miraculous sign from heaven. ¹²He sighed deeply. He said, “Why do you people ask for a sign? What I’m about to tell you is true. No sign will be given to you.”

¹³Then he left them. He got back into the boat and crossed to the other side of the lake.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod

¹⁴The disciples had forgotten to bring bread. They had only one loaf with them in the boat.

¹⁵“Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees. And watch out for the yeast of Herod.”

¹⁶They talked about this with each other. They said, “He must be saying this because we don’t have any bread.”

¹⁷Jesus knew what they were saying. So he asked them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? Why can’t you see or understand? Are you stubborn? ¹⁸Do you have eyes and still don’t see? Do you have ears and still don’t hear? And don’t you remember? ¹⁹Earlier I broke five loaves for the 5,000. How many baskets of pieces did you pick up?”

“Twelve,” they replied.

²⁰“Later I broke seven loaves for the 4,000. How many baskets of pieces did you pick up?”

“Seven,” they answered.

²¹He said to them, “Can’t you understand yet?”

Jesus Heals a Blind Man

²²Jesus and his disciples came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man. They begged Jesus to touch him.

²³He took the blind man by the hand. Then he led him outside the village. He spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him.

“Do you see anything?” Jesus asked.

²⁴The man looked up. He said, “I see people. They look like trees walking around.”

²⁵Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened so that he could see again. He saw everything clearly.

²⁶Jesus sent him home. He told him, “Don’t go into the village.”

Peter Says That Jesus Is the Christ

²⁷Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

²⁸They replied, “Some say John the Baptist. Others say Elijah. Still others say one of the prophets.”

²⁹“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”

³⁰Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

Jesus Tells About His Coming Death

³¹Jesus then began to teach his disciples. He taught them that the Son of Man must suffer many things. He taught them that the elders would not accept him. The chief priests and the teachers of the law would not accept him either. He must be killed and after three days rise again. ³²He spoke clearly about this.

Peter took Jesus to one side and began to scold him.

³³Jesus turned and looked at his disciples. He scolded Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You are not thinking about the things of God. Instead, you are thinking about human things.”

³⁴Jesus called the crowd to him along with his disciples. He said, “If anyone wants to come after me, he must say no to himself. He must pick up his cross and follow me. ³⁵If he wants to save his life, he will lose it. But if he loses his life for me and for the good news, he will save it. ³⁶What good is it if someone gains the whole world but loses his soul? ³⁷Or what can anyone trade for his soul?

³⁸“Suppose you are ashamed of me and my words among these adulterous and sinful people. Then the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

9Jesus said to them, “What I’m about to tell you is true. Some who are standing here will not die before they see God’s kingdom coming with power.”

Jesus’ Appearance Is Changed

²After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him. He led them up a high mountain. They were all alone. There in front of them his appearance was changed. ³His clothes became so white they shone. They were whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. ⁴Elijah and Moses appeared in front of Jesus and his disciples. The two of them were talking with Jesus.

⁵Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters. One will be for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁶Peter didn’t really know what to say, because they were so afraid.

⁷Then a cloud appeared and surrounded them. A voice came from the cloud. It said, “This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to him!”

⁸They looked around. Suddenly they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

⁹They came down the mountain. On the way down, Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen. He told them to wait until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. ¹⁰So they kept the matter to themselves. But they asked each other what “rising from the dead” meant.

¹¹Then they asked Jesus, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah has to come first?”

¹²Jesus replied, “That’s right. Elijah does come first. He makes all things new again. So why is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and not be accepted? ¹³I tell you, Elijah has come. They have done to him everything they wanted to do. They did it just as it is written about him.”

Jesus Heals a Boy Who Had an Evil Spirit

¹⁴When Jesus and those who were with him came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them. The teachers of the law were arguing with them. ¹⁵When all the people saw Jesus, they were filled with wonder. And they ran to greet him.

¹⁶“What are you arguing with them about?” Jesus asked.

¹⁷A man in the crowd answered. “Teacher,” he said, “I brought you my son. He is controlled by a spirit. Because of this, my son can’t speak anymore. ¹⁸When the spirit takes hold of him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth. He grinds his teeth. And his body becomes stiff. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit. But they couldn’t do it.”

¹⁹“You unbelieving people!” Jesus replied. “How long do I have to stay with you? How long do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

²⁰So they brought him. As soon as the spirit saw Jesus, it threw the boy into a fit. He fell to the ground. He rolled around and foamed at the mouth.

²¹Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“Since he was a child,” he answered. ²²“The spirit has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us. Please help us.”

²³“ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for the one who believes.”

²⁴Right away the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe! Help me overcome my unbelief!”

²⁵Jesus saw that a crowd was running over to see what was happening. Then he ordered the evil spirit to leave the boy. “You spirit that makes him unable to hear and speak!” he said. “I command you, come out of him. Never enter him again.”

²⁶The spirit screamed. It shook the boy wildly. Then it came out of him. The boy looked so lifeless that many people said, “He’s dead.” ²⁷But Jesus took him by the hand. He lifted the boy to his feet, and the boy stood up.

²⁸Jesus went indoors. Then his disciples asked him in private, “Why couldn’t we drive out the evil spirit?”

²⁹He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

³⁰They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were. ³¹That was because he was teaching his disciples.

He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be handed over to men. They will kill him. After three days he will rise from the dead.” ³²But they didn’t understand what he meant. And they were afraid to ask him about it.

Who Is the Most Important Person?

³³Jesus and his disciples came to a house in Capernaum. There he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” ³⁴But they kept quiet. On the way, they had argued about which one of them was the most important person.

³⁵Jesus sat down and called for the Twelve to come to him. Then he said, “If you want to be first, you must be the very last. You must be the servant of everyone.”

³⁶Jesus took a little child and had the child stand among them. Then he took the child in his arms. He said to them, ³⁷“Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me. And anyone who welcomes me doesn’t welcome only me but also the One who sent me.”

Anyone Who Is Not Against Us Is for Us

³⁸“Teacher,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name. We told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”

³⁹“Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me. ⁴⁰Anyone who is not against us is for us.

⁴¹“What I’m about to tell you is true. Suppose someone gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to me. That one will certainly not go without a reward.

Leading People to Sin

⁴²“What if someone leads one of these little ones who believe in me to sin? If he does, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.

^43/44“If your hand causes you to sin,…