Chapter 72: Freedom

Nothing to Fear, a Greater Force

Chapter 72 of the Tao Te Ching, the concepts of freedom, humility, and self-awareness are explored through the lens of governance and personal conduct. The first line, “When people have nothing to fear, a greater force will rise,” can be interpreted from a Christian perspective as a reflection on the power of God’s sovereignty. Exodus 7:1-16 illustrates the moment when God empowered Moses to confront Pharaoh, a great force that could not be contained. In a Christian context, when people are free from fear and oppression, they are able to experience the greater force of God’s guidance and strength. Fear can often prevent individuals from embracing the fullness of God’s purpose for their lives, whereas freedom, both spiritual and physical, allows them to rise into the potential He has designed for them.

Moses is a good picture of this line, because he did not start out fearless. When God first called him, he begged, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else” (Exodus 4:13). The greater force in Exodus was never Moses’ courage. It was God’s promise: “I will be with you” (Exodus 3:12). By the time Moses stood before Pharaoh, the Lord could tell him, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh” (Exodus 7:1).

“…The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness.”…”
Exodus 7:16ESV

Notice why God sets His people free: so that they may worship Him. Freedom from fear is not freedom to do anything at all; it is freedom to belong to God. Fear had kept Israel small and silent. Once they trusted the Lord, a nation of brickmakers walked out of Egypt. That is the “greater force” this line speaks of: not human power, but God’s strength rising in people who trust Him.

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment…”
1 John 4:18NRSVue

This does not mean Christians never feel afraid. Jesus Himself was in anguish in the garden the night before He died. It means fear no longer rules us. The more we know how much the Father loves us, the less room fear has to boss us around.

Room to Breathe, Lighter Loads

The next lines, “Do not confine people within narrow walls, do not burden their livelihood,” resonate with the biblical teachings on compassion and the dignity of all people. In Exodus 1:1-22, the Israelites are oppressed and burdened by the Egyptians, but God hears their cries and delivers them. This echoes the Christian command to love one another, as seen in Luke 6:31 (“Do to others as you would have them do to you”). Just as God does not confine or burden His people, Christians are called to ensure that others are not oppressed, but rather given the freedom to live in God’s truth and abundance.

Exodus 1 shows exactly what narrow walls and heavy burdens look like. Pharaoh was afraid of the Israelites, so he tried to control them. He put slave masters over them, set them to building his store cities, and squeezed their work until there was no room left to live. The walls of Egypt were not only made of brick; they were made of fear.

“and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.”
Exodus 1:14ESV

Notice the pattern: the one who is afraid becomes the one who confines others. Fearful leaders micromanage, fearful parents smother, and fearful people try to keep others small. But God heard the cry of the oppressed. “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt,” He told Moses (Exodus 3:7). He is still the God who sees the worker, the stuck and the overlooked.

Jesus warned against leaders who “tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders” (Matthew 23:4), and He offered the opposite: an easy yoke and a light burden. Christians are called to treat people the same way: to pay fairly, to share the load, and to give others space to grow into who God made them to be.

“Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free.”
Psalm 118:5ESV

Respect That Comes Back

“If you do not despise them, then they will not despise you,” emphasizes the importance of humility and respect in relationships. This principle mirrors Luke 6:31, where Jesus teaches the Golden Rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” It reminds believers that the way they treat others reflects back upon them, encouraging love and respect, which builds peace and unity within the community. This mutual respect is essential in the Christian walk, as believers are called to love their neighbors as themselves (Mark 12:31).

To despise someone is to look down on them, to decide they are worth less than we are. Jesus told a parable for exactly this attitude. Luke says He spoke it “to some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else” (Luke 18:9). The Pharisee in that story thanked God he was not like the tax collector. Only the tax collector went home right with God.

“Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.”
Romans 14:10NRSVue

Contempt has a way of coming back. Look down on people, and they usually look down on you. Respect them, and walls start to come down. Still, this line is not a deal we make to get respect. Jesus was “despised and rejected by mankind” (Isaiah 53:3), and He still did not despise anyone. On the cross He prayed for the very people who mocked Him.

“…Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.]]…”
Luke 23:34NRSVue

The Wise Know Themselves

The wise, according to this chapter, “Know themselves but do not glorify, value themselves but do not boast.” These statements reflect the humility that Jesus modeled throughout His life. In John 8:54-56, Jesus does not seek glory for Himself but gives glory to the Father, teaching us that true wisdom lies in acknowledging God’s greatness rather than our own. Similarly, in Luke 14:11, Jesus says, “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted,” reinforcing the idea that humility is the pathway to true honor.

In Scripture, wisdom begins in a surprising place: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). This is not the fear the chapter tells us to lose. It is awe, the wonder of a child before a great and loving Father. The wise are free from the fear of people and circumstances precisely because they stand in awe of God.

From that awe comes real self-knowledge. The wise do not see themselves through other people’s opinions or through the filter they post online. They let God show them who they are, both the good and the not-yet-good. That is why the Church encourages a daily examination of conscience: an honest look at our day in His light.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Psalm 139:23-24NRSVue

Knowing ourselves, we stop trying to glorify ourselves. Jesus taught us to let our light shine so that people “may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). The gifts of the wise are real, and they point past themselves to the Giver.

Worth Without Boasting

The wise also “value themselves.” Christian humility is not pretending to be worthless. Jesus told His frightened disciples, “Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:31, RSVCE). Every person is made in God’s image and loved so much that the Son gave His life for them. Low self-worth and loud self-promotion are often two sides of the same fear: the fear of not being enough.

“For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive?”
1 Corinthians 4:7NRSVue

Mary shows the balance perfectly. She knew God had done something great in her, and she said so: “From now on all generations will call me blessed.” In the same breath she gave the reason: “for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name” (Luke 1:48-49). She valued the gift and gave the glory to the Giver.

Then the chapter ends, “Thus, they disregard one and choose the other.” The wise set aside self-glory and boasting, and they choose honest self-knowledge and God-given worth. It is not a choice we make once. We make it again and again, in conversations, at work and online, until humility feels like home.

“so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’”
1 Corinthians 1:31ESV

Living the Chapter

In conclusion, this chapter teaches the Christian virtues of humility, self-awareness, and respect for others. It calls for a freedom that comes not from worldly power or control but from a life lived in alignment with God’s will. When we cease to oppress others, seek our own glory, or act out of selfish ambition, we allow God’s greater force to work within us and through us, bringing true freedom and blessing to ourselves and the world around us.

Chapter 72 traces a path of freedom from the inside out. First, God frees us from fear, so His strength can rise in us. Then we stop building narrow walls and heavy loads for others. We stop looking down on people. And we learn to know and value ourselves honestly, without needing to glorify ourselves or boast.

Each step needs the others. Fearful people tend to control others. Proud people tend to despise them. But a person who knows they are loved by God has nothing to prove and nothing to fear, and that person becomes free to set others free.

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
Galatians 5:1ESV

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.”
1 Peter 5:6-7NRSVue