THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
Throughout the New Testament there are numerous references to light. Not the light of day or the the light from a lamp but the Light from within. When Jesus said “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12) and “as long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5), what was he saying to us? When he said “Ye are the light of the world… Let your light so shine before men” (Matthew 5:14-16) what was he saying to us. What is this Light.
This is Light that needs to be seen from a spiritual perspective. Remembering that we are Spirit as God is Spirit and that this material form is just that, we need to see the Light in the spiritual sense. For our purposes we will define Light as an emanation from some source that illuminates what is around it. For this essay, that source is our Spirit. Now Jesus, the Christ, came among us as the Light of the world; spiritually He was the guiding light that all the world could follow. He is the Light that illuminates the mind and the heart of man so that we can think and love as He did when we are allowing ourselves to be guided by that light. This is the same Light that emanates from our Spirit and should be seen as an aspect of that Spirit. When we walk in the Spirit that Light shines and illuminates all.
And this is the key and the relationship between His statements that “I am the Light” and “ye are the Light”. When we allow ourselves to live in the Presence of God then the Light that is within us all is allowed to pour forth through our minds and hearts and we become, as He is, the Light of the world. This is no mystery; it is a commandment from the Master in his statement “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14). It is by our life and works that others see that we have the Light of the Lord and it is the emanation of that Light through us that illuminates all that is around us.
From his statements we should also get that we all have the Light, we all are the Light. It is in the display of this light, by allowing it to shine before men, that we are living the spiritual life and helping and serving the Lord and our fellow man.
Jesus also affirms to us that all that follow him shall have the Light of life. This is another way of saying is the same thing as above in that if we have that Light of life in us we are followers of the Christ and we will, without trying, let our Light shine before men. It becomes our natural and normal way of life. Is this not the intent of spiritual living and the desire of all who have awakened to the Presence of God?
In the same context, Jesus also tells us “The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.” (Luke 11:34-36). What does this tell us about the Light which is in us? It says that we, each of us, need to be sure that we are looking at life through the illumined eye and not shutting that illumination off by doing those things which are contrary to the will of the Lord and are not founded on the Good, the Beautiful and the True.
The above should show to you that the Light which is spoken of in the New Testament is not a light as we know it materially at all but just a way of saying something about the Spirit of man and its ability to flow through the whole of man, through his mind and heart, and to allow us to bring the power of the Spirit which is the Light of God through ourselves, radiating it to all that we contact in life. As much as we dwell in His Presence, so much will we be a Light to the World and will let our Light so shine before men.
Note on the Quote of the Day
This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily and will not store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment.
And the workof righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. (Isaiah 32:17).
