“He who follows Me, walks not in darkness,” says the Lord. By these words of Christ we are advised to imitate His life and habits, if we wish to be truly enlightened and free from all blindness of heart. Let our chief effort, therefore, be to study the life of Jesus Christ. The teaching of Christ is more excellent than all the advice of the saints, and he who has His spirit will find in it a hidden manna. Now, there are many who hear the Gospel often but care little for it because they have not the spirit of Christ. Yet whoever wishes to understand fully the words of Christ must try to pattern his whole life on that of Christ. (The Imitation of Christ, Book I, Chapter 1, “Imitating Christ and Despising All Vanities on Earth”)
Meditation
The way of Christ is not a matter of hearing alone, nor of knowledge stored in the mind, but of a life shaped and conformed to Him. Kempis warns that without humility and obedience, even the greatest learning becomes vanity. To follow Jesus is to seek His Spirit, not simply His words, for His words become life only when lived out. The saints bear witness to this truth, but their example points always to Him who is the true light. The call is clear: pattern life after Christ Himself. His path is the narrow way, despised by the world, yet radiant with wisdom and joy. To imitate Christ is to walk in the light, safe from the blindness of sin, and to find hidden manna for the soul.
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