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Jesus Heals Many People

29 From there, Jesus went along Lake Galilee. Then he climbed a hill and sat down. 30 Large crowds came and brought many people who were paralyzed or blind or lame or unable to talk. They placed them, and many others, in front of Jesus, and he healed them all. 31 Everyone was amazed at what they saw and heard. People who had never spoken could now speak. The lame were healed, the paralyzed could walk, and the blind were able to see. Everyone was praising the God of Israel.

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

(Mark 8.1-10)

32 Jesus called his disciples together and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been with me for three days, and they don't have anything to eat. I don't want to send them away hungry. They might faint on their way home.”

33 His disciples said, “This place is like a desert. Where can we find enough food to feed such a crowd?”

34 Jesus asked them how much food they had. They replied, “Seven small loaves of bread[a] and a few little fish.”

35 After Jesus had told the people to sit down, 36 he took the seven loaves of bread and the fish and gave thanks. He then broke them and handed them to his disciples, who passed them around to the crowds.

37 Everyone ate all they wanted, and the leftovers filled seven large baskets.

38 There were 4,000 men who ate, not counting the women and children.

39 After Jesus had sent the crowds away, he got into a boat and sailed across the lake. He came to shore near the town of Magadan.[b]

A Demand for a Sign from Heaven

(Mark 8.11-13; Luke 12.54-56)

16 (A) The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tried to test him by asking for a sign from heaven. He told them:

If the sky is red in the evening, you say the weather will be good. But if the sky is red and gloomy in the morning, you say it is going to rain. You can tell what the weather will be like by looking at the sky. But you don't understand what is happening now.[c] (B) You want a sign because you are evil and won't believe! But the only sign you will be given is what happened to Jonah.[d]

Then Jesus left.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

(Mark 8.14-21)

The disciples had forgotten to bring any bread when they crossed the lake.[e] (C) Jesus then warned them, “Watch out! Guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

The disciples talked this over and said to each other, “He must be saying this because we didn't bring along any bread.”

Jesus knew what they were thinking and said:

You surely don't have much faith! Why are you talking about not having any bread? (D) Don't you understand? Have you forgotten about the 5,000 people and all those baskets of leftovers from just five loaves of bread? 10 (E) And what about the 4,000 people and all those baskets of leftovers from only seven loaves of bread? 11 Don't you know by now that I am not talking to you about bread? Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!

12 Finally, the disciples understood that Jesus wasn't talking about the yeast used to make bread, but about the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Footnotes

  1. 15.34 small loaves of bread: See the note at 14.17.
  2. 15.39 Magadan: The location is unknown.
  3. 16.2,3 If the sky is red … what is happening now: The words of Jesus in verses 2 and 3 are not in some manuscripts.
  4. 16.4 what happened to Jonah: Jonah was in the stomach of a big fish for three days and nights (see 12.40).
  5. 16.5 crossed the lake: To the east side.

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand(A)(B)(C)

29 Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.(D) 31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.(E)

32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people;(F) they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”

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

“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”

35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them(G) and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.(H) 38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.

The Demand for a Sign(I)

16 The Pharisees and Sadducees(J) came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.(K)

He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.[a](L) A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”(M) Jesus then left them and went away.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”(N)

They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”

Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith,(O) why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?(P) 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?(Q) 11 How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.(R)

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 16:3 Some early manuscripts do not have When evening comes … of the times.