Christ feeds the people miraculously, 1-9; refuses to give a sign to the Pharisees, 10-13; admonishes his disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the leaven of Herod, 14-21; gives a blind man his sight, 22-26; acknowledges that he is the Christ who should suffer and rise again, 27-33; and exhorts to patience in persecution for the profession of the gospel, 34-38.
1 In those days when the multitude was very great and had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples and says to them, 2 "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way, for some of them came from a distance." 4 And his disciples answered him, "From where can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?" 5 And he asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven." 6 And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, gave thanks, broke, and gave to his disciples to set before them, and they set them before the people. 7 They also had a few small fish. And he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. 8 So they ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets of the fragments that were left. 9 And those who had eaten were about four thousand. Then he dismissed them. 10 And immediately he entered into a boat with his disciples and came into the parts of Dalmanutha.
11 And the Pharisees came forth and began to question with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, testing him. 12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and says, "Why does this generation seek for a sign? Truly I say to you, there shall no sign be given to this generation." 13 And he left them, and entering into the boat again, departed to the other side.
14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither did they have in the boat with them more than one loaf. 15 And he charged them saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the leaven of Herod." 16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread." 17 And when Jesus knew it, he says to them, "Why do you discuss that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive, neither understand? Do you have your heart yet hardened? 18 Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember, 19 When I divided the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?" They say to him, "Twelve." 20 "And when I divided the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?" And they said, "Seven." 21 And he said to them, "How is it that you do not understand?"
22 And he comes to Bethsaida, and they bring a blind man to him and implored him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when he had spit on his eyes and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw anything. 24 And he looked up, and said, "I see men as trees walking." 25 After that, he put his hands again upon his eyes and made him look up. Then he was restored and saw every man clearly. 26 And he sent him away to his house, saying, "Neither go into the town, nor tell it to anyone in the town."
27 And Jesus went out, along with his disciples, into the towns of Cesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, saying to them, "Who do men say that I am?" 28 And they answered, "'John the Baptist.' But some say, 'Elijah,' and others, 'One of the prophets.'" 29 And he says to them, "But who do you say that I am?" And Peter answers and says to him, "You are the Christ." 30 And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.
31 And he began to teach them that the Son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he spoke that saying openly. And Peter took him and began to rebuke him. 33 But when he had turned around and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind me, Satan. For you do not savor the things that are of God, but the things that are of men."
34 And when he had called the people to him with his disciples also, he said to them, "Whoever will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whoever will save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. 36 For what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 Whoever therefore is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
Matthew Henry Commentary - Mark, Chapter 8[➚]
[v.1-10] - Gospel Link: Matthew 15:32-39.
[v.11] - Gospel Link: Matthew 16:1.
[v.12-13] - Gospel Link: Matthew 16:4.
[v.14-21] - Gospel Link: Matthew 16:5-12.
[v.15] - Gospel Link: Luke 12:1.
[v.18] - Reference, Jeremiah 5:21; Ezekiel 12:2.
[v.27-29] - Gospel Link: Matthew 16:13-16; Luke 9:18-20.
[v.29] - "You are the Christ" - In other words, "You are the Messiah."
[v.30] - Gospel Link: Matthew 16:20; Luke 9:21.
[v.31] - Gospel Link: Matthew 16:21; Luke 9:22.
[v.32-33] - Gospel Link: Matthew 16:22-23.
[v.34-37] - Gospel Link: Matthew 16:24-26; Luke 9:23-25.
[v.38] - Gospel Link: Matthew 10:32-35; Luke 9:26, 12:8-9.