Jesus feeds four thousand. The Pharisees demand a sign; none will be given to this generation. Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus begins to teach that the Son of Man must suffer, be rejected, be killed, and rise after three days. He calls the crowd to take up the cross. Whoever is ashamed of him in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.
1–10 In those days, when there was a very great multitude, and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to himself 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.” His disciples answered him, “From where could one satisfy these people with bread here in a deserted place?” He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves. Having given thanks, he broke them, and gave them to his disciples to serve, and they served the multitude. They had a few small fish. Having blessed them, he 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 he sent them away. Immediately he entered into the boat with his disciples, and came into the region of Dalmanutha.
11–13 The Pharisees came out and began to question him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, and testing him. He sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Most certainly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.” He left them, and again entering into the boat, departed to the other side.
14–21 They forgot to take bread; and they didn’t have more than one loaf in the boat with them. He warned them, saying, “Take heed: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.” 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 him, “Twelve.” “When the seven loaves fed the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They told him, “Seven.” He asked them, “Don’t you understand, yet?”
22–26 He came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him, and begged him to touch him. He took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village. When he had spat on his eyes, and laid his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything. He looked up, and said, “I see men; for I see them like trees walking.” Then again he laid his hands on his eyes. He looked intently, and was restored, and saw everyone clearly. He sent him away to his house, saying, “Don’t enter into the village, nor tell anyone in the village.”
27–30 Jesus went out, with his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” They told him, “John the Baptizer, and others say Elijah, but others: one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” He commanded them that they should tell no one about him.
31–33 He began to teach them that the Son of Man 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. He spoke to them openly. Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. But he, turning around, and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you have in mind not the things of God, but the things of men.”
34–38 He called the multitude to himself with his disciples, and said to them, “Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? For what will a man give in exchange for his life? For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him, when he comes in his Father’s glory, with the holy angels.”
Source: ebible.org
Jesus has compassion on the multitude that has been with him three days and feeds about four thousand with seven loaves and a few fish. Seven baskets remain. The Pharisees then come seeking a sign from heaven, testing him. He sighs deeply: why does this generation seek a sign? Most certainly, no sign will be given to this generation. The demand is refused. The generation that has already seen the works and the feeding still asks for a sign from heaven. The refusal is not a postponement of evidence to a distant future. It is a verdict on a generation that will not receive what has already been given. The same generation will later demand that he come down from the cross so that they may see and believe. The pattern is set: the demand for a spectacle is the refusal of the word.
He warns of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod. The disciples think he is speaking about bread. He asks whether their hearts are still hardened, whether they have eyes and do not see, ears and do not hear. They remember the twelve baskets and the seven, but they do not yet understand. At Bethsaida a blind man is healed in stages: first men like trees walking, then clear sight. The staged healing is a picture of the disciples themselves. Confession is coming, but full understanding of the path of the Son of Man is not yet. Hardness of heart is not limited to the opposition. The ones who will soon confess him as the Christ still need their eyes opened to the necessity of the cross.
At Caesarea Philippi he asks, “Who do men say that I am?” John the Baptizer, Elijah, one of the prophets. “But who do you say that I am?” Peter: “You are the Christ.” He commands them to tell no one. Immediately he begins to teach that the Son of Man must suffer many things, be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and after three days rise again. He speaks openly. Peter rebukes him. Jesus rebukes Peter: “Get behind me, Satan! For you have in mind not the things of God, but the things of men.” The confession is the turning point. The Christ is the Son of Man who must suffer. Any messianic expectation that excludes the cross is aligned with the things of men. The path is fixed. The rejection by the leadership of that generation is announced before it occurs.
He calls the multitude with his disciples. Whoever wants to come after him must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow. Whoever wants to save his life will lose it; whoever loses his life for his sake and the Good News will save it. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Discipleship is defined by the cross before the cross has been raised. The generation that will see the Son of Man come in the Father’s glory is the same generation that is called to take up the cross in the present. Saving one’s life on the terms of that generation is forfeiting it. Losing one’s life for the Good News is saving it.
Whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels. The warning is directed at that generation. The coming of the Son of Man in the Father’s glory is the horizon of accountability for those who hear him. It is not a deferred event for a distant race. It is the vindication and judgment that the rest of the Gospel and the Olivet Discourse will locate within the lifetime of that generation. The Christ has suffered, been rejected, been killed, and has risen. The generation that was warned has faced the coming. We live as those who take up the cross after the cross, unashamed of the One who has already come in glory to judge and to save.
The Christ has suffered, been rejected, been killed, and has risen. The generation that was warned has faced the coming. We live as those who take up the cross after the cross, unashamed of the One who has already come in glory to judge and to save. The confession “You are the Christ” is joined forever to the path of the cross and the vindication of the Son of Man.
Where does the call to deny self, take up the cross, and follow still confront the desire to save one’s life on one’s own terms?