In 1999, the renowned Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann published an article that has greatly influenced me. In it, he frames the biblical narrative as a tension between the world’s myth of scarcity and God’s vision of abundance.
In the Exodus story, for example, Pharaoh and Egypt represent the myth of scarcity. They are threatened by the growth of the Hebrew people, so to protect their power and limited resources, the Egyptians persecuted the Hebrews and killed their children. A fear of scarcity led Pharaoh to violence, injustice, and greed. God’s people, on the other hand, experienced his abundance. Every day, he provided them with meat and bread in the wilderness, and water flowed from rocks. Assured of God’s provision, they were called to walk with him and put aside vengeance and greed and instead seek justice, love, kindness, and humility.
We see the tension between scarcity and abundance throughout Jesus’ ministry as well. Many of his miracles are signs pointing to God’s abundant provision, where people fear not having enough. The turning of water into wine at the wedding in Cana and the feeding of the multitudes with a few fish and loaves show that everywhere Jesus went, there was always more than enough to drink and to eat. The raising of Jairus’ daughter and Lazarus reveals that God can even overcome death with an abundance of life.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explains the terrible outcomes of embracing the myth of scarcity and why we are called to believe the reality of abundance in God’s kingdom. If we live in constant fear of not having enough—as Pharaoh did—it will lead us to greed and injustice in the name of self-preservation. We will fall into the trap of believing that in order for us to have enough, someone else must have less. It is a zero-sum vision of the world that always leads to anger, division, and suffering.
If, however, we believe the message and ministry of Jesus and trust that with God there is always an abundance, then we can be set free from a self-centered posture of fear and greed. And from this new position, we will be set free to truly be generous, self-giving, and loving toward others—even those we previously viewed as threats.
How do you see the world? Do you believe in the myth of scarcity, or have you been liberated by the abundance of God’s kingdom? And what voices are you listening to? The Pharaohs of this world telling you who to blame for the scarcity you fear, or are you listening to the voice of Jesus calling you to trust in God’s loving provision of your needs?
Daily Scripture
Matthew 6:25–34
Ephesians 3:20–21
Weekly Prayer
From Henri Nouwen (1932–1996)
Dear Lord, help me keep my eyes on you. You are the incarnation of Divine Love, you are the expression of God’s infinite compassion, you are the visible manifestation of the Father’s holiness. You are beauty, goodness, gentleness, forgiveness, and mercy. In you all can be found. Outside of you nothing can be found. Why should I look elsewhere or go elsewhere? You have the words of eternal life, you are food and drink, you are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. You are the light that shines in the darkness, the lamp on the lampstand, the house on the hilltop. You are the perfect Icon of God. In and through you I can see and find my way to the Heavenly Father. O Holy One, Beautiful One, Glorious One, be my Lord, my Savior, my Redeemer, my Guide, my Counselor, my Comforter, my Hope, my Joy, and my Peace. To you I want to give all that I am. Let me be generous, not stingy or hesitant. Let me give you all—all I have, think, do, and feel. It is yours, O Lord. Please accept it and make if fully your own.
Amen.
