Study Desk

As Jesus stepped out of the boat, he saw a large crowd waiting. He felt sorry for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd to care for them. So he taught the people many things.

Jesus took the five loaves and two fish. He looked up to the sky and thanked God for the food. Then he broke the bread into pieces, which he gave to his followers to distribute to the people. Then he divided the two fish among everyone there.

But you teach that people can say to their father or mother, ‘I have something I could use to help you, but I will not use it for you. I will give it to God.'

You are telling people that they do not have to do anything for their father or mother.

Food does not go into a person's mind. It goes into the stomach. Then it goes out of the body." (When Jesus said this, he meant there is no food that is wrong for people to eat.)

"I feel sorry for these people. They have been with me for three days, and now they have nothing to eat.

The followers also had a few small fish. Jesus gave thanks for the fish and told them to give the fish to the people.

I divided five loaves of bread for 5000 people. Remember how many baskets you filled with pieces of food that were not eaten?" The followers answered, "We filled twelve baskets."

"And when I divided seven loaves of bread for 4000 people, how many baskets did you fill with the leftover pieces?" They answered, "We filled seven baskets."

Jesus told them everything that would happen. He did not keep anything secret. Peter took Jesus away from the other followers to talk to him alone. Peter criticized him for saying these things.

Then Jesus called the crowd and his followers to him. He said, "Any of you who want to be my follower must stop thinking about yourself and what you want. You must be willing to carry the cross that is given to you for following me.

Any of you who try to save the life you have will lose it. But you who give up your life for me and for the Good News will save it.

It is worth nothing for you to have the whole world if you yourself are lost.

Peter said to Jesus, "Teacher, it is good that we are here. We will put three tents here—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

Jesus said to the father, "Why did you say ‘if you can'? All things are possible for the one who believes."

"If one of these little children believes in me, and someone causes that child to sin, it will be very bad for that person. It would be better for them to have a millstone tied around their neck and be drowned in the sea.

If your hand makes you sin, cut it off. It is better for you to lose part of your body and have eternal life than to have two hands and go to hell. There the fire never stops.

If your foot makes you sin, cut it off. It is better for you to lose part of your body and have eternal life than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.

If your eye makes you sin, take it out. It is better for you to have only one eye and enter God's kingdom than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell.

Some Pharisees came to Jesus and tried to make him say something wrong. They asked him, "Is it right for a man to divorce his wife?"