Luke 9:5-25

⁵If people do not welcome you, as you leave that town, shake even the dust off your feet, as a protest against them.”

⁶Then they set out and went from village to village, telling the good news and curing people everywhere.

⁷Prince Herod heard of all that was happening, and was perplexed, because it was said by some that John must be risen from the dead.

⁸Some again said that Elijah had appeared, and others that one of the old prophets had risen again.

⁹But Herod himself said, “John I beheaded; but who is this of whom I hear such things?” And he endeavored to see him.

¹⁰When the apostles returned, they related to Jesus all that they had done. Then Jesus went privately to a town called Bethsaida, taking the apostles with him.

¹¹But the people recognized him and followed him in crowds; and Jesus welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, while he cured those who were in need of help.

¹²The day was drawing to a close, when the twelve came up to him, and said, “Send the crowd away, so that they may make their way to the villages and farms around about, and find themselves lodgings and provisions, for we are in a lonely spot here.”

¹³But Jesus said, “It is for you to give them something to eat.” “We have not more than five loaves and two fish,” they answered; “unless indeed we are to go and buy food for all these people.”

¹⁴(For the men among them were about five thousand.) “Get them seated in companies,” was his reply, “about fifty in each.”

¹⁵This they did, and got all the people seated.

¹⁶Taking the five loaves and the two fish, Jesus looked up to heaven and said the blessing over them. Then he broke them in pieces, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people.

¹⁷Everyone had sufficient to eat, and what was left of the broken pieces was picked up — twelve baskets.

¹⁸Afterward, when Jesus was alone, praying, his disciples joined him, and he asked them this question — “Who do the people say that I am?”

¹⁹“John the Baptist,” was their answer; “others, however, say that you are Elijah, while others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.”

²⁰“But you,” he went on, “who do you say that I am?” And to this Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”

²¹Jesus, however, strictly charged them not to say this to anyone;

²²he told them that the Son of Man must undergo much suffering, and be rejected by the elders, and chief priests, and teachers of the Law, and be put to death, and rise on the third day.

²³And to all present he said, “If any one wishes to walk in my steps, they must renounce self, and take up their cross daily, and follow me.

²⁴For whoever wishes to save their life will lose it, and whoever, for my sake, loses his life — that person will save it.

²⁵What good does it do someone if, when they has gained the whole world, they has lost or forfeited themselves?