Light

Light of the World

Background

The word “light” comes up frequently in Bible searches - especially in the books of Psalms, Isaiah and John - very often about illumination of some kind. This post looks at a few of the mentions.

In the opening pages of the Old Testament, after the creation of the formless and empty earth, God’s first item is light. (The light comes three days before the light-bearers, ie, sun, moon and stars - I think there is a pattern to the “days”.)

From Daniel I note that, like in Genesis 1, light uniquely belongs to, and with, God Almighty
He changes times and seasons;
    he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
    and knowledge to those who have understanding;
he reveals deep and hidden things;
    he knows what is in the darkness,
    and the light dwells with him. (Daniel 2:21-22, ESV)

The psalmist says the light of God, mediated via his Word, can provide life direction:
Your word is a lamp
that gives light
    wherever I walk. (Psalm 119:105, CEV)

Then, later, there were the expectations of better days via God’s “servant”:
He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me.
I will make you a light to the Gentiles,
and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6, NLT). Still there was more - the light was to shine on the nations - and it does.

The prospects were bright indeed(!). I think I can securely say this was conditional on receiving the Light:
Your sun shall no more go down,
nor your moon withdraw itself;
for the LORD will be your everlasting light,
and your days of mourning shall be ended.
Your people shall all be righteous;
they shall possess the land forever,
the branch of my planting, the work of my hands,
that I might be glorified.[fn].  (Is 60:20-21, ESV)
I imagine the ancient Hebrew/Jewish people treasured and puzzled over promises like these.

The possibility was there that the people of God would be participants and beneficiaries. The privilege of the light implies opportunity, and obligation:
if you offer your food to the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
    and your gloom be like the noonday. (Isaiah 58:10, NRSV) Preceding, then, is some of the Old Testament (OT) background people had to what was coming from Jesus.

Paul later said that the the light around God may be compared to the unendurable light of the sun:
Only God lives forever! And he lives in light that no one can come near. No human has ever seen God or ever can see him. God will be honored, and his power will last forever. Amen. (1Tim 6:16, CEV)

Jesus and the Light

The word “light” (in the LXX Greek text the same word) is used in the description of Jesus himself, his message and his role. Light here conveys the senses of the source of inner enlightenment and, by rolling back the darkness, of making visible what would otherwise not be “seen”.

At the very beginning of the "Jesus event" it was possible for some to know how big this was. Thus from one Simeon:
“Lord, now you are letting your servant[e] depart in peace,
    according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation
    that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and for glory to your people Israel.”
And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. (Luke 2:29-33, ESV). You can see more of Simeon's part in previous post, "Nativity".

In the opening lines of John’s Gospel, penned after Jesus' rejection and ascension, we have before us the weighty statements that
Life was in him, and that life was the light for all people. The light shines in the darkness. But the darkness has not overcome the light. (John 1:4-5, NIRV)
The author directs attention to the one (Jesus) who brought (brings) enlightenment to all who accept it from him. He unerringly makes God known despite the dark.

Why would there be resistance or opposition? Further on in the same Gospel there is an explanation:
And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”[j] (John 3:19-21, NRSV)
The inner darkness is persistent. Pervasive darkness is clung to from the motivation of cover-up.

There were extended motives for opposition to or rejection of the light which is Jesus. This antagonistic response is shown in many Gospel pericopes. Here from a later part of John the attitude is sadly clear, even if the opposition blithely ignore all that has been revealed:
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Then the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.”  (John 8:12-13, NRSV)
To follow Jesus is to know where you are going; no need to stumble along in darkness missing what life is for, and where it leads.

Jesus did not leave it there. Whilst removing "popular" dark from the minds of his disciples he in fact re-stated the astounding claim:
As Jesus walked along, he saw a man who had been blind since birth. Jesus' disciples asked, “Teacher, why was this man born blind? Was it because he or his parents sinned?”
“No, it wasn’t!” Jesus answered. “But because of his blindness, you will see God work a miracle for him. As long as it is day, we must do what the one who sent me wants me to do. When night comes, no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light for the world.” (John 9:1-5, CEV)
The chapter in John recounts other minds persisting dark, which was sad. As well as the need to have eyes of the mind opened, we see the centrality of Jesus' life on earth.  "While" he was in the world. Though he is the light the world so badly needs, he is no longer physically with us. What then? Are we to be left just longing for light in continuing darkness? Not so - read on. (Was the "night" that short "frozen" period after the crucifixion?)

One memorable day Jesus made a remarkable statement to an assemblage of followers, unlikely as they may seem:
 “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. ( Matt 5:14-16, NLT)
The words “light” and “world” are the same in John above as in Matthew here. What is this then - a contradiction? The followers are the world’s light; Jesus is the world’s light? One way of avoiding conflicting interpretation is to use the image of the sun and the moon. On that argument, the followers are bearers of reflected light, rather than sources of light.

However, Jesus did not say that. Nor did he say, you are the “lights” (plural). The (singular) light in both instances. It is teaching addressed to those (plural) who, attached to Jesus, are to actively and energetically represent God at good works (plural) in God’s world (in Jesus’ place) and thus Jesus remains the light (singular) of the world. His followers convey his light with them in the day-to-day of life. They are not divided, nor do they hate one another.

But, grimly - there is a form of "light" that can be strangely perverse. Life may be thoroughly benighted if the wrong perspective guides an individual. This would include warped viewing of (relating to) of Jesus.
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! (Matthew 6:22-23, NRSV) No real following of Jesus in that description.

It seems to me the notion of an unhealthy eye, filling the person with darkness, is portrayed tragically in the abominable stories of predators exploiting children and the vulnerable, and the accounts of those thought to be the protectors actually being betrayers.

In another translation, listen again to Jesus’ remarkable words - was he taking a risk here?
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that[b] they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16, ESV)

What then - did Jesus just set things going and leave it to his followers? Not at all - even if falteringly, they work for him and with him in his presence, by the Holy Spirit. Encouragement there is from the body and everyday guidance from the Scriptures.

Early on in Matthew's Gospel we are given this summary which uses the Greek version of the OT expectation found in Isaiah 9:
the people who sat in darkness
    have seen a great light.
And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow,
    a light has shined.”[f]
From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.[g]” (Matt 4:16-17, NLT)