¹⁰ When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. ¹¹ He told them, ‘The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables ¹² so that,

¹³ Then Jesus said to them, ‘Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?

⁵² for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

¹⁷ Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? ¹⁸ Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? ¹⁹ When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?’

‘Twelve,’ they replied.

²⁰ ‘And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?’

They answered, ‘Seven.’

²¹ He said to them, ‘Do you still not understand?’

²⁹ ‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’

Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah.’