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I recently learned an interesting thing Xenia

When Jesus gave His "I am the light of the world " teaching it was done on the feast of Hanukah ( the feast of lights) .

Anyway I was listening to an excellent teacher that was explaining that the Holy Garments of the priests in the temple were never "discarded".
They were torn into strips and usually used for 2 purposes.

The 'blankets " in those days were heavy and harsh to the skin, so expectant mothers would take some of the strips to use as "swaddling clothes" for a new born . So Christ (as king , prophet and priest ")would have normally been swaddled in priestly garments

But for insight into Jesus used of the metaphor of "I am the light of the world" on Hanukah it is helpful to know that the garments were also used to make wicks for the oil candles. That holiday celebrates the lamps in the temple not going out for lack of oil .

So in a metaphorical sense he was saying he was like one of the wicks that would not go out. We are removed from that today, but the hearers would have understood what he was saying .

Every one of the" I am" statements had a spiritual and cultural meaning that we today do not grasp

That holiday celebrates the lamps in the temple not going out for lack of oil.
So in a metaphorical sense he was saying he was like one of the wicks that would not go out.
We are removed from that today, but the hearers would have understood what he was saying .
Every one of the" I am" statements had a spiritual and cultural meaning that we today do not grasp.

153 posted on 02/11/2006 10:47:59 AM MST by RnMomof7

The Wick with the oil ( Ruach haKodesh ) bring
illumination to the Holy Word of G-d.
I have found that reading for metaphors is rewarding;
but reading for allegories leads to blindness.

b'shem Y'shua

Where on earth do you get this? Jesus is quoted as saying "I am the light of the world" twice. The first time is in John 8:12, the second is John 9:5. The timeframe is arrived at in John7:2, where it plainy says that the next several chapters take place during and immediately after the Feast of Tabernacles. This is a harvest feast, taking place in September or October, well before Hannakuh. Read chapters 7 through 9 and you will see that the timeframe is unquestionably the Feast of Tabernacles.