Matthew 15:29-16:12

Contemporary English Version

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. ² He told them:

If the sky is red in the evening, you say the weather will be good. ³ 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] 4 (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)

⁵ The disciples had forgotten to bring any bread when they crossed the lake.^{[e] 6 (C)} Jesus then warned them, “Watch out! Guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

⁷ The disciples talked this over and said to each other, “He must be saying this because we didn't bring along any bread.”

⁸ Jesus knew what they were thinking and said:

You surely don't have much faith! Why are you talking about not having any bread? ^9 (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.