In his review of the 2006 reissue of "Living in the Material World", for "Q" magazine, Tom Doyle included the song among the album's best three tracks and wrote: "the introspective moods of The Light That Has Lighted The World and Who Can See It, with their ornate instrumentation and weepy vocals, are lovely things." Reviewing the 2014 "Apple Years" Harrison reissues, in "Mojo", Doyle writes of "Material World" having "spotlit the spirituality and the dreaminess", through "the gentle, non-preachy The Light That Has Lighted The World and Be Here Now, both great works of look-around-you wonder". In his review for "Record Collector", Oregano Rathbone highlights the song among Harrison's output over 1973–75, writing: ""Living In The Material World", "Dark Horse" and "Extra Texture" may tend towards earnest, careworn, mid-tempo slow-burners, but each contains shivery moments of release: The Light That Has Lighted The World, Far East Man and This Guitar (Can't Keep From Crying) spring to mind."