Lecture 3 — The light of men

^1:4^ In him was life, and the life was the light of men. [n. 95]

^1:5^ And the light shines in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. [n. 102]

95. Above, the Evangelist described the power of the Word insofar as he brought all things into existence; here he describes his power as it is related to men, saying that this Word is a light to men. Where

first, he introduces a certain light to us, at and the life was the light of men;

second, the light’s irradiation, at and the light shines in darkness;

third, participation in the light, at and the darkness did not comprehend it.

This whole section may be explained in two ways: first, according to the influx of natural knowledge; second, according to the communication of grace.

As to the first point he says, and the life was the light of men.

96. Here we should note first that, according to Augustine and many others, ‘light’ is more properly said of spiritual things than of sensible things. Ambrose, however, thinks that brightness is said metaphorically of God. But this is not a great issue, for in whatever way the name light is used, it implies a manifestation, whether that manifesting concerns intelligible or sensible things. If we compare sensible and intelligible manifestation, then, according to the nature of things, light is found first in spiritual things. But for us, who give names to things on the basis of their properties as known to us, light is discovered first in sensible things, because we first used this name to signify sensible light before intelligible light; although as to power, light belongs to spiritual things in a prior and truer way than to sensible things.

97. To clarify the statement, and the life was the light of men, we should remark that there are many grades of life. For some things live, but do so without light, because they have no knowledge; for example, plants. Hence their life is not light. Other things both live and know, but their knowledge, since it is on the sense level, is concerned only with individual and material things, as is the case with the brutes. So they have both life and a certain light. But they do not have the light of men, who live, and know, not only truths, but also the very nature of truth itself. Such are rational creatures, to whom not only this or that are made manifest, but truth itself, which can be manifested and is manifestive to all.

And so the Evangelist, speaking of the Word, not only says that he is life but also light, lest anyone suppose he means life without knowledge. And he says that he is the light of men, lest anyone suppose he meant only sensible knowledge, such as exists in the brutes.

98. But since he is also the light of angels, why did he say, of men?

Two answers have been given to this. Chrysostom says that the Evangelist intended in this Gospel to give us a knowledge of the Word precisely as directed to the salvation of men and therefore refers, in keeping with his aim, more to men than to angels. Origen, however, says that participation in this light pertains to men insofar as they have a rational nature; accordingly, when the Evangelist says, the light of men, he wants us to understand every rational nature.

99. We also see from this the perfection and dignity of this life, because it is intellectual or rational.

For whereas all things that in some way move themselves are called living, only those that perfectly move themselves are said to have perfect life; and among lower creatures only man moves himself, properly speaking, and perfectly. For although other things are moved by themselves by some inner principle, that inner principle is nevertheless not open to opposite alternatives; hence they are not moved freely but from necessity. As a result, those things that are moved by such a principle are more truly made to act than act themselves. But man, since he is master of his act, moves himself freely to all that he wills. Consequently, man has perfect life, as does every intellectual nature.

And so the life of the Word, which is the light of men, is perfect life.

100. We find a fitting order in the above. For in the natural order of things, existence is first; and the Evangelist implies this in his first statement, **in the beginning was the Word **(John 1:1). Second, comes life; and this is mentioned next, in him was life. Third comes understanding; and that is mentioned next; and the life was the light of men.

And, according to Origen, he fittingly attributes light to life because light can be attributed only to the living.

101. We should note that light can be related in two ways to what is living: as an object and as something in which they participate, as is clear in external sight. For the eyes know external light as an object, but if they are to see it, they must participate in an inner light by which the eyes are adapted and disposed for seeing the external light.

And so his statement, and the life was the light of men, can be understood in two ways. First, that the light of men is taken as an object that man alone can look upon, because the rational creature alone can see it, since he alone is capable of the vision of God who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth, and enlightens us more than the birds of the air (Job 35:11); for although other animals may know certain things that are true, nevertheless, man alone knows the nature itself of truth. The light of men can also be taken as a light in which we participate. For we would never be able to look upon the Word and light itself except through a participation in it; and this participation is in man and is the superior part of our soul, i.e., the intellectual light, about which it is said, the light of your countenance, O Lord, is marked upon us (Ps 4:7), i.e., of your Son, who is your face, by whom you are manifested.

102. Having introduced a certain light, the Evangelist now considers its irradiation, saying, and the light shines in the darkness.

This can be explained in two ways, according to the two meanings of ‘darkness.’

First, we might take darkness as a natural defect, that of the created mind. For the mind is to that light of which the Evangelist speaks here as air is to the light of the sun; because, although air is receptive of the light of the sun, considered in itself it is a darkness. According to this the meaning is: the light, i.e., that life which is the light of men, shines in the darkness, i.e., in created souls and minds, by always shedding its light on all: on a man from whom the light is hidden (Job 3:23).

And the darkness did not comprehend it, that is, it was not able to enclose it. For to comprehend something, is to enclose and understand its boundaries. As Augustine says, to reach God with the mind is a great happiness; but to comprehend him is impossible. And so, the darkness did not comprehend it. Behold, God is great, exceeding our knowledge (Job 36:26); as Jeremiah says great in counsel, incomprehensible in thought (Jer 32:19).

This explanation is found in that homily which begins, the spiritual voice of the eagle.

103. We can explain this passage in another way by taking darkness as Augustine does, for the natural lack of wisdom in man, which is called a darkness. And I saw that wisdom excells folly as much as light excells knowledge (Eccl 2:13).

Someone is without wisdom, therefore, because he lacks the light of divine wisdom. Consequently, just as the minds of the wise are lucid by reason of a participation in that divine light and wisdom, so by the lack of it they are darkness. Now the fact that some are darkness is not due to a defect in that light, since on its part it shines in the darkness and radiates upon all. Rather, the foolish are without that light because the darkness did not comprehend it, i.e., they did not apprehend it, not being able to attain a participation in it due to their foolishness; after having been lifted up, they did not persevere. From the savage, i.e., from the proud, he hides his light, i.e., the light of wisdom, and shows his friend that it belongs to him, and that he may approach it (Job 36:32); they did not know the way to wisdom, nor did they remember her paths (Bar 3:23).

Although some minds are darkness, i.e., they lack savory and lucid wisdom, nevertheless no man is in such darkness as to be completely devoid of divine light, because whatever truth is know by anyone is due to a participation in that light which shines in the darkness; for every truth, no matter by whom it is spoken, comes from the Holy Spirit. Yet the darkness, i.e., men in darkness, did not comprehend it, apprehend it in truth.

This is the way to explain this clause according to Origen and Augustine.

104. Starting from and the life was the light of men, we can explain this according to the influx of grace, since we are illuminated by Christ; and he thus continues to excell.

After he had considered the creation of things through the Word, the Evangelist considers here the restoration of the rational creature through Christ, saying, and the life, of the Word, was the light of men, i.e., of all men in general, and not only of the Jews. For the Son of God assumed flesh and came into the world to illumine all men with grace and truth. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, that I should give testimony to the truth (John 18:37); as long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world (John 9:5). So he does not say, the light of the Jews, because although previously he had been known only in Judea, he later became known to the world. I have given you as a light to the nations, that you might be my salvation to the ends of the earth (Isa 49:6).

It was fitting to join light and life by saying, and the life was the light of men, in order to show that these two have come to us through Christ: life, through a participation in grace, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17); and light, through a knowledge of truth and wisdom.

105. According to this explanation, the light shines in the darkness, can be expounded in three ways, in the light of the three meanings of ‘darkness.’

In one way, we can take darkness for punishment. For any sadness and suffering of heart can be called a darkness, just as any joy can be called a light. When I sit in darkness and in suffering the Lord is my light, i.e., my joy and consolation (Mic 7:8).

And so Origen says: in this explanation, the light shines in the darkness, is Christ coming into the world, having a body capable of suffering and without sin, but in the likeness of sinful flesh (Rom 8:3). The light is in the flesh, that is, the flesh of Christ, which is called a darkness insofar as it has a likeness to sinful flesh. As if to say: the light, i.e., the Word of God, veiled about by the darkness of the flesh, shines on the world; I will cover the sun with a cloud (Ezek 32:7).

106. Second, we can take darkness to mean the devils, as in *our struggle is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness (*Eph 6:12).

Looked at this way he says, the light, i.e., the Son of God, shines in the darkness, i.e., has descended into the world where darkness, i.e., the devils, hold sway: now shall the prince of this world be cast out (John 12:31). And the darkness, i.e., the devils, did not comprehend it, i.e., were unable to obscure him by their temptations (Matt 4).

107. Third, we can take darkness for the error or ignorance which filled the whole world before the coming of Christ, you were at one time darkness (Eph 5:8).

And so he says that the light, i.e., the incarnate Word of God, shines in the darkness, i.e., upon the men of the world, who are blinded by the darkness or error and ignorance. To enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death (Luke 1:79), the people who were sitting in darkness saw a great light (Isa 9:2). And the darkness did not comprehend it, i.e., did not overcome him. For in spite of the number of men darkened by sin, blinded by envy, shadowed over by pride, who have struggled against Christ, as is plain from the Gospel, by upbraiding him, heaping insults and calumnies upon him, and finally killing him, nevertheless they did not comprehend it, i.e., gain the victory of so obscuring him that his brightness would not shine throughout the whole world. Wisdom says, compared to light, she takes precedence, for night supplants it, but wisdom, that is, the incarnate Son of God, *is not overcome by wickedness (*Wis 7:30), that is, of the Jews and of heretics, because it says, she gave him the prize for his stern struggle that he might know that wisdom is mightier than all else (Wis 10:12).