On the floor in front of the altar of the ancient church in
Tabgha is a brown and white mosaic depicting two fish flanking a wicker basket
filled with a few loaves of bread, depicting the Miracle of the Multiplication
of the Loaves and Fish—a miracle so important that it appears in all four
gospels.
In this chapter, Father Martin takes on the skeptics who
prefer to water down this miracle as well as the Resurrection of Jesus from the
dead—the cornerstone of our faith.
This tendency to rationalize the miraculous, he writes, reflects a modern tendency to explain away things we moderns cannot understand.
He then goes on to explain the miracle in depth and to
remind the reader that God takes our small gifts and through the power of the
Spirit makes our gifts great. “All we
need to do,” he writes, “is bring what little we have, generously and
unashamedly. . . .Jesus knew that wherever there is, God can make more of
it. But first we are asked to offer our
loaves and fishes, no matter inadequate they may seem. Only then can God accomplish the kind of true
miracle that occurred at Tabgha” (page 272).
To Ponder and Discuss:
1. Have you ever heard the "nice thought" interpretation of this Gospel story, which explains Jesus' miracle as one in which the crowd shares what they have? Have you heard similar interpretations of the miracles? What is your response to them?
2. This is the only miracle--outside of the Resurrection--that appears in all four Gospels. Why do you think the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes was so important for early Christian communities?
3. In what ways has God "multiplied" the offerings you make in life?
Steven Olson
I have heard and read "nice thought" interpretations of Gospel stories, such as this one in which the crowd share what food they have with each other; there is also the "swoon theory" that Jesus did not die on the cross, so there was no real resurrection, or the "shared memories" of Jesus by the apostles. It is my belief that all of these "nice thought" interpretations are of the devil for they try to turn our minds from the fact that Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, took on human flesh, in order to be crucified, and became the SAVIOR of humanity. God, the Father, sent His Only Son to die on the cross for us, not to "swoon" for us. God, the Father, then raised Jesus fulfilling His promise to us to conquer death once and for all. Anyone who believes these so called "nice thought" interpretations should not call themselves Christians, followers of Christ, disciples of the Lord, etc. As a Catholic Christian, I find these "nice thought" interpretations offensive.
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