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1–9. Feeding the four thousand. – 10–12. Christ's answer to the Pharisees to their demand for a sign from heaven. – 13–21. Warning the disciples against the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod. – 22–26. Healing of a blind man in Bethsaida. – 27–30. Confession of the disciples, which took place in the region of Caesarea Philippi. – 31–33. The first announcement of suffering. – 34–38. About selflessness. Mark 8:1. In those days, when a very large crowd had gathered and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples and said to them: Mark 8:2. I feel sorry for the people who have been with Me for three days now and have nothing to eat. Mark 8:3. If I send them away sick to their homes, they will become weak on the way, for some of them have come from afar. Mark 8:4. His disciples answered Him: where could anyone get bread here in the desert to feed them? Mark 8:5. And he asked them: How many loaves do you have? They said: seven. Mark 8:6. Then he ordered the people to lie down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves and giving thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed it to the people. Mark 8:7. They also had a few fish: having blessed them, He ordered them to be distributed too. Mark 8:8. And they ate and were filled; and they took up the remaining pieces into seven baskets. Mark 8:9. Those who ate were about four thousand. And he let them go. For the miracle of the feeding of the four thousand, see comments on Matthew 15:32–39. Evangelist Mark only adds that the Lord paid attention to some who came to Him from afar (verse 3) and, therefore, had no acquaintances nearby from whom they could get bread. By this the evangelist characterizes Christ’s special care for people. Unlike Matthew, who mentions the loaves and fishes together, the Evangelist Mark mentions both separately. Further, according to Matthew, Christ blesses the loaves and fish, and according to Mark, he pronounces thanksgiving over the bread (εὐχαριστήσας), and over the fish - a blessing (εὐλογήσας). Mark 8:10. And immediately he entered the boat with his disciples and arrived at the borders of Dalmanutha. Mark 8:11. The Pharisees came out, began to argue with Him and demanded a sign from heaven from Him, tempting Him. Mark 8:12. And He, taking a deep breath, said: Why does this generation require a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation. For a sign from heaven, see Matthew 16:1–4. Mark talks about this more briefly than Matthew. For example, he omits the Lord’s words about the “sign of Jonah,” probably because his readers, pagan Christians, would hardly understand their meaning. But he adds that Christ “sighed deeply” about the unbelief of the Pharisees. Where Dalmanufa was located is unknown. We can only say that this village, like Magdala, which the Evangelist Matthew mentions in this story, was located on the western shore of the Sea of ​​Gennesaret. Mark 8:13. And, leaving them, he again entered the boat and went to the other side. Mark 8:14. At the same time, His disciples forgot to take the loaves and had nothing but one loaf with them in the boat. Mark 8:15. And He commanded them, saying: See, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. Mark 8:16. And, reasoning among themselves, they said: this means that we have no bread. Mark 8:17. Jesus, having understood, said to them: Why do you argue that you have no loaves? Do you still not understand and understand? Is your heart still hardened? Mark 8:18. Having eyes, don't you see? Having ears, don't you hear? and don't remember? Mark 8:19. When I broke five loaves for five thousand people, how many baskets full of pieces did you pick up? They say to Him: twelve. Mark 8:20. And when there are seven for four thousand, how many baskets did you pick up of the remaining pieces? They said seven. Mark 8:21. And he said to them: How come you don’t understand? For a discussion of leaven, see Matthew 16:5–12. Instead of mentioning the Sadducees (Matthew 16:6), Evangelist Mark mentions Herod's leaven (verse 15). It may very well be that the evangelist thereby expressed the idea of ​​similarity in the moral views of Herod Antipas, a man completely devoted to sensuality, with the Sadducees, who also most valued the material benefits of life. Mark 8:22. Comes to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man to Him and ask him to touch him. Only one evangelist, Mark, reports about the miracle of the healing of a blind man in Bethsaida (actually, without reaching there). Bethsaida lay on the way to Caesarea Philippi - where, in fact, the Lord was heading - not far from the place where the Jordan flows into the sea. The blind man who was brought to Christ was previously sighted, as is evident from the fact that he had knowledge of men and trees (verse 24). Mark 8:23. He took the blind man by the hand, led him out of the village and, spitting in his eyes, laid his hands on him and asked him: does he see anything? The external actions that Christ uses here are the same ones that He used when healing a deaf man who was tongue-tied (cf. Mark 7:32). Mark 8:24. He looked and said: I see people passing by, like trees. Mark 8:25. Then he again laid his hands on his eyes and told him to look. And he was healed and began to see everything clearly. The blind man did not immediately begin to see clearly; his eyes were still clouded with fog, and he could not distinguish people from trees. Therefore, the Lord laid hands on him a second time, and the sick man began to see everything clearly. Mark 8:26. And he sent him home, saying: Do not enter the village and do not tell anyone in the village. The Lord forbids the healed man to talk about the miracle in Bethsaida, perhaps in order to avoid an influx of curious people this time. The evangelist, both here and in verse 23, calls Bethsaida not a city, but a village (κώμη). It had this name since ancient times, and if the tetrarch Philip called it “the city of Julia” (daughter of Augustus), then the people obviously retained its ancient name - “village”. Mark 8:27. And Jesus went with His disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way, He asked His disciples: Who do people say that I am? Mark 8:28. They answered: for John the Baptist; others - for Elijah; and others - for one of the prophets. Mark 8:29. He says to them: Who do you say that I am? Peter answered Him: You are the Christ. Mark 8:30. And he forbade them not to tell anyone about Him. The disciples’ answer to Christ’s question and the confession of the Apostle Peter, see the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 16:13–20). The Evangelist Mark, who conveys this story more briefly than Matthew, omits the praise that the Apostle Peter received from Christ. Is it not clear from here that he wrote his Gospel under the leadership of the Apostle Peter? Of course, the humble apostle did not want this praise to be included in the Gospel of Mark. Evangelist Mark reports that Christ led the conversation with his disciples “on the road” to Caesarea, and not in Caesarea itself, as Evangelist Matthew reports. Mark 8:31. And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and be raised on the third day. Mark 8:32. And he spoke about this openly. But Peter, having called Him away, began to contradict Him. Mark 8:33. He, turning and looking at His disciples, rebuked Peter, saying: Get away from Me, Satan, because you think not about the things of God, but about the things of men. For Christ’s prediction of His death, see the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 16:21–23). Evangelist Mark adds that the Lord began to speak about His sufferings “openly,” i.e. so that there was no reason left for any misunderstanding, and, moreover, without any fear (παρρησία). Mark 8:34. And calling the people with His disciples, He said to them: If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Mark 8:35. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the Gospel will save it. Mark 8:36. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Mark 8:37. Or what ransom will a man give for his soul? Mark 8:38. For whoever is ashamed of Me and 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. The doctrine of self-sacrifice (see Matthew 16:24–27). Evangelist Mark clearly says that the teaching was spoken out loud before the “people” surrounding Christ, i.e. not only for students. In the same way, Mark alone adds to the expression “for My sake” (verse 35): “and the Gospels.” The Gospel or the good news about Christ was obviously for him and for his readers like the voice of Christ Himself speaking from heaven. The way they treat the Gospel is the way they treat Christ Himself. Verse 38 cf. Matthew 10:33, 16:27. You might be interested in: