Enough for the Whole World

Devotional by Holli Davila

“Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

John 8:12

In the book of John, Jesus makes seven “I am” statements. In John 8, we get one of these statements- “I am the Light of the World.” Jesus is speaking to a crowd here, including the Pharisees. The Pharisees often find themselves opposing Jesus because they are so convinced of their own way that they cannot perceive Jesus for who he is - the saving Messiah who has come. So, after a crazy scene where Jesus has called out the Pharisees for their judgment (read it if you like! John 8:1-11) and has publicly forgiven a woman for her sins, he says “I am the Light of the world.”

I love this phrase, “Light of the world.” Jesus is claiming to be for the whole world, for everyone. He is Light, the opposite of darkness. I think we sense what this means more than we can define it - darkness is evil, empty, scary, unknown, an absence. Light is bright, full, happy, safe, a knowing. Jesus says he is this tangible, beautiful thing for the whole world! Not just for one person, or the worthy ones, or a singular type of people. The judgment of the Pharisees was spreading darkness and condemnation, but Jesus came and offered the light of life- exposing sin and restoring relationship to God for those who would follow.

It does require something, though, to have the light of life: “The one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.” The price for living in the light is following Jesus- it’s surrendering to his ways. I must be vulnerable and let every piece of my life be exposed to this wonderful light. I must walk in the light. That means I’ve got to make moves toward Jesus and away from darkness. There is such safety in this - I can know where I am going; I can know I’m not alone. My days will be bright, full, safe.

I believe this also means I get to share the light of the world with others - it is for everyone, after all. And who doesn’t want the joy and love and hope and safety that comes with knowing Jesus? I believe these are the things that all people are searching for, and the good news is that they’re able to be found - in Christ! They are searching in the dark, but I have the light of life with me!

So the questions I’m asking today are: Are there any corners of my life that I’ve kept hidden from the Light of the World? Do I have any habits I keep doing in the shadows? Who in my life is searching for meaning and purpose in the darkness that I could share the light of Christ with? What’s my first step toward them?