The following verse is very well known to us. “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life’” (John 8:12). It gives the perspective from God’s side. It is the perspective we need and should put all our focus on it. There are several things the verse points out; let’s note each one of them.
- Jesus calls Himself “I am,” a name which God gives to Himself when He spoke to Moses concerning His message to Israel (Exod. 3:14).
- When He speaks of Himself as the Light of the world, He implies that the world is dark, i.e. dark concerning every aspect. It explains the existence of sin as well as its influence.
- If anyone follows Him that one will not walk in the world, i.e. he or she has a better option than to walk in the darkness, they will not walk in it so as to stumble and fall all the time.
- Hence, Jesus concludes that walking in the world always leads to terminal failure, loss and pain.
- If we are not walking in the world, i.e. in the ways of the world that have no perfect outcome and in the darkness that does not allow us to move freely, we are with better wisdom and ways belonging to it.
- Then, our ways must lead to victory, success, gain and joy.
- Jesus also states that life by itself is directionless on this earth and needs guidance to fulfill its potential. In other words life left by itself is guided by darkness.
- Darkness can simply be understood as ‘inability to see.’
- When the world is darkness, it gives all life on it the ‘inability to see.’
- So, each one walking in the world lives with the ‘inability to see.’ When one cannot see, he or she is blind to the things that cause harm, loss and pain. They do not have the capacity to realize.
- And when one has Jesus, he or she has the ‘Light of life,’ i.e. they have the purpose/direction of life.
- It is in that purpose/objective they live that will not let them look to the world. They never fail.
- All others looking to the world (every aspect of darkness) are without purpose.