17th Sunday of Year B
July 2006
As we all know there is more than one way of cooking a potato. There is also more than one way of interpreting Scripture (the Bible). Furthermore our understanding of scripture continues to grow and mature and will continue to grow and mature. For example our understanding of the first eleven chapters of Genesis, which at one time (not so long ago) we took literally, is now known to be symbolic. This is true also of many other parts of the Bible. One biblical scholar interprets the multiplication of the loaves and fishes as follows;
Jesus was famous for his teaching and his curing of the sick. Men, women and children came from far and near to meet him and to listen to him. Many of these people, especially those with children or those from distant towns and villages, would bring food. As usually happens on such occasions some bring no food while many bring too much food, which ends up being wasted. Jesus was very much aware of this. So when some woman in the crowd saw that Jesus and the Apostles had no food with them and sent her young son to offer them five barley loaves and two fish from her basket, Jesus saw what they should do. He and the Apostles got everyone to sit down on the grass in small groups and then they went around the groups offering them small portions of the five loaves and two fish. The people, now in smaller more intimate groups, had begun to talk together and get to know each other. And seeing Jesus and the Apostles going about and sharing the little they had, began to open their own baskets and offer each other their food and drink. As a result all ate `as much as they wanted' and even then there was food left over.
Is not this change of heart, and sharing of ones surplus with those in need, a far greater miracle than a mere multiplication of loaves and fishes by some miraculous power?