Blessed are the Meek who Refuse to Profit from Pain. By Dr. Chapman Chen
- Chapman Chen
- May 14
- 2 min read
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5), Jesus teaches.
Meek means humble. Jesus describes Himself as “gentle and humble in heart” (Matt 1:29). Moses is also described as “very humble, more so than anyone else on the face of the earth” (Num 12:3).
If we are humble, we will not be so humanocentric as to think that only we are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) and therefore all other creatures are made for us to (ab)use. If we are humble, we will not interpret “dominion (yirdu)” in Genesis 1:26, 28 as domination over animals rather than bowing down to serve animals. If we are humble, we will not interpret “subdue the earth” (Genesis 1:28) as rampantly exploiting the earth rather than taking good care of it.
If we are humble, we will not think that the object of “Thou shalt not kill (Lo tirtzach)” (Exodus 20:13) is only humans. If we are humble, we will not interpret the object of “I came to serve, not to be served!” (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45) as only humans but not animals. If we are humble, we will not interpret Jesus’ command, “Go… preach the Gospel to all creation (ktisis)!” (Mark 16:15) as “Go…preach the Gospel to all nations!”
Meekness means we never gain anything at the expense of another’s suffering. The opposing trait is arrogance. Arrogance stems from haughtiness, self-importance, and selfish desire, whereas meekness is born from a heart of compassion, empathy, and love. Because of this, it is the trait that most powerfully reflects God's likeness within us (cf. Norm Phelps 2002, p. 151).
Environmentally speaking, when we take and use the earth's riches only to suit ourselves, we are being arrogant, not meek. I often refer to this as the Environmental Beatitude, since it teaches that if we live with meekness, the Earth will sustain and care for us for many generations. But if we act out of arrogance, our descendants will receive a barren wasteland left behind by our greedy overuse. Sometimes, as the old saying goes, it is not that we are punished for our wrongdoing, but that we are punished by it (cf. Norm Phelps 2002, p. 151).
Yet “Blessed are the meek” is not only about the environment. To say that our desires, enjoyment, or comfort are more valuable than the lives of animals is a form of arrogance—not meekness. Life is God’s greatest blessing; it matters deeply to every being who has received it. Taking this gift away from creatures entrusted to us, just because we enjoy their flesh or believe we can gain health through their pain and death, makes a mockery of the good news Jesus proclaimed (cf. Norm Phelps 2002, p. 151). “I desire COMPASSION, not sacrifice!” famously declared Jesus (Matt 9:13, 12:7; cf. Hosea 6:6).
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