Chapter
8
In those days, when there was a very great multitude, and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called her disciples to herself, and said to them,
"I have compassion on the multitude, because they have stayed with me now three days, and have nothing to eat.
If I send them away fasting to their home, they will faint on the way, for some of them have come a long way."
Her disciples answered her, "From where could one satisfy these people with bread here in a deserted place?"
She asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven."
She commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground, and she took the seven loaves. Having given thanks, she broke them, and gave them to her disciples to serve, and they served the multitude.
They had a few small fish. Having blessed them, she said to serve these also.
They ate, and were filled. They took up seven baskets of broken pieces that were left over.
Those who had eaten were about four thousand. Then she sent them away.
Immediately she entered into the boat with her disciples, and came into the region of Dalmanutha.
The Pharisees came out and began to question her, seeking from her a sign from heaven, and testing her.
She sighed deeply in her spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Most certainly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation."
She left them, and again entering into the boat, departed to the other side.
They forgot to take bread; and they didn't have more than one loaf in the boat with them.
She charged them, saying, "Take heed: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Heroda."
They reasoned with one another, saying, "It's because we have no bread."
Jesus, perceiving it, said to them, "Why do you reason that it's because you have no bread? Don't you perceive yet, neither understand? Is your heart still hardened?
Having eyes, don't you see? Having ears, don't you hear? Don't you remember?
When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They told her, "Twelve."
"When the seven loaves fed the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They told her, "Seven."
She asked them, "Don't you understand, yet?"
She came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind woman to her, and begged her to touch her.
She took hold of the blind woman by the hand, and brought her out of the village. When she had spit on her eyes, and laid her hands on her, she asked her if she saw anything.
She looked up, and said, "I see women; for I see them like trees walking."
Then again she laid her hands on her eyes. She looked intently, and was restored, and saw everyone clearly.
She sent her away to her house, saying, "Don't enter into the village, nor tell anyone in the village."
Jesus went out, with her disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way she asked her disciples, "Who do women say that I am?"
They told her, "Johanna the Baptizer, and others say Elijah, but others: one of the prophets."
She said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Petra answered, "You are the Christ."
She charged them that they should tell no one about her.
She began to teach them that the Daughter of Woman must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
She spoke to them openly. Petra took her, and began to rebuke her.
But she, turning around, and seeing her disciples, rebuked Petra, and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you have in mind not the things of God, but the things of women."
She called the multitude to herself with her disciples, and said to them, "Whoever wants to come after me, let her deny herself, and take up her cross, and follow me.
For whoever wants to save her life will lose it; and whoever will lose her life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it.
For what does it profit a woman, to gain the whole world, and forfeit her life?
For what will a woman give in exchange for her life?
For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Daughter of Woman also will be ashamed of her, when she comes in the glory of her Mother with the holy angels."