men loved darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the Light and does not come to the Light lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the Light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."}

The parable of the snake and its transformation into a staff....

I say: He [Jesus]—peace be upon him—mentioned the Serpent, which is the Staff of Moses, to alert us that the transformation of his celestial, luminous existence into the earthly human form is exactly like the transformation of the Staff of Moses from the attribute of a "Staff" to the attribute of a "Serpent," and then its return to the attribute of a "Staff" once more. This is an indication of His [the Divine's] transcendence beyond depiction and transformation.

The same is said of Lord Christ and all the Worlds of Light; they proceed in this manner. Our Master, the Commander of the Faithful [Ali], pointed to this meaning in the Sermon of the Climates (Khutbat al-Aqalim), saying:

"I am the Secret of Abraham; I am the Serpent of the Speaker [Moses]."

And similarly in the Sermon of the Lights (Khutbat al-Anwar):

"I am the Cloak; I am the Staff."