Thread by @JamesMartinSJ

Gospel: Did Jesus really feed a vast crowd with just two fish and five loaves (Mt 14)? You've probably heard some people say that the "real miracle" was that everyone took out what they had and shared it. Daniel J. Harrington, SJ, calls this the "nice thought" interpretation...

Sharing is an essential Christian value. But the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes, which included not only enough food for thousands of people, but 12 baskets left over, so stunned the eyewitnesses, and the early church, that it was included in all four Gospels...

...and in two Gospels it appears twice.

Perhaps the well-meaning "sharing" interpretation stems from our inability to accept the supernatural power of Jesus. But in case we miss the point, the next story in Matthew is Jesus walking on the water, and then healing the sick...

Jesus's power to do the extraordinary stunned the people of his time. The crowds are repeatedly described as "amazed" or "astounded," or say "We have never seen anything like this."

As important as sharing is, we shouldn't water down what astounded the actual eyewitnesses.

Here's the quote from Daniel J. Harrington, SJ, in his Sacra Pagina commentary on Mk (from which Mt most likely got the story):

“One way not to actualize this passage is to say that people were so moved by the preaching of Jesus that they divided their food with others....

...This 'nice thought' interpretation goes back to the 19th century rationalistic attack on miracles that has achieved a strong foothold in mainline Christian preaching.”