“Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.””
John 8:12 NLT
In a spiritual sense, light refers to holiness, righteousness and purity, while darkness refers to sin, evil and wickedness. Jesus said that He is the ultimate Light, the Light that came into this world and imparted “the light that leads to life”. We know that in a physical sense light is necessary so that all the organisms of this world can survive. Plants cannot survive without light. Our human eyes are incredible organs that can detect light with amazing clarity and with all of its constituent colours. Right back in Genesis 1:3-5 we read the act of God’s creation on the first day, “Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day“. So physical light is fundamental to God’s creation.
But spiritually, there is only one source of light and that is Jesus Himself. There is no other way to illuminate our spirits, though many attempt it with a variety of methods, all of which ultimately fail. We find Yoga classes, and mindfulness and so on, all of which make spiritual claims, but which all fall far short of the light that Jesus was referring to. Only by believing in Jesus will we find the light that illuminates our very souls. As we pilgrims journey through life we find our way illuminated by the Word of God. “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105). The words of illumination come from none other than Jesus Himself. John 1:1, “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God”.
Jesus has delegated to His followers the responsibility of sharing His light with the world around us. Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father“.
It is a tremendous invitation from Jesus. If we believe in Him, we will never have to suffer the consequences of sin, and be beholden to the dark world in which we live.
Dear Lord Jesus. You are the Word that illuminates our ways through a dark and dismal world. Those around us may be stumbling through the darkness of sin but You promised to be our light that leads to life. Thanks Lord. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 