Mark 8:17–38

Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened?^d Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”

“Twelve,”^e they replied.

“And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”

They answered, “Seven.”^f

He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”^g

Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida

They came to Bethsaida,^a and some people brought a blind man^b and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit^c on the man’s eyes and put his hands on^d him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”

He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”

Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.”

Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah

8:27-29^pp — Mt 16:13–16; Lk 9:18–20

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

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;^a others say Elijah;^b and still others, one of the prophets.”

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

Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”^c

Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.^d

Jesus Predicts His Death

8:31 — 9:1^pp — Mt 16:21–28; Lk 9:22–27

He then began to teach them that the Son of Man^a must suffer many things^b and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law,^c and that he must be killed^d and after three days^e rise again.^f He spoke plainly^g about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!”^h he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

The Way of the Cross

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.^a For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.^b What good is it for you to gain the whole world, yet forfeit your soul? Or what can you give in exchange for your soul? If any of you are ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man^c will be ashamed of you^d when he comes^e in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”