Do you like to read the New York Times? Watch Sophia the First on Disney Junior? Want a better way to keep track of your appointments and obligations? There’s an app for that. Want to train your brain? Keep and edit digital pictures of those you love? Do you want to play pinball or golf or basketball? There’s an app for that, too.
Some estimates say that more than 500,000 apps are now available for our smartphones or other mobile devices. An “App”, short for application, is a specialized program that you download to your smartphone or other mobile device. Many promise to make our lives better. Many claim to save you time and money; others will help you communicate more effectively. Too many apps promise entertainment value for yourself and others and while other apps serve as learning tools. These apps are supposed to make our lives better and more efficient.
So is there an app for everything? No wonder so many of us can be seen staring down at our phones in hand rather than conversing face-to-face with someone. Discussions on cell phone etiquette encourage us to put the phone down and be fully present in the here and now. D’Anna and I were at Genghis Grill for lunch recently and the couple at a table near us each had their phones out, not saying a word to each other. One of my favorite slogans I heard at a Young Life Camp was, "Putting your phone away and paying attention to those talking to you? There's an app for that. It's called 'RESPECT.'”
But even if smartphones are causing problems, we should not dismiss them. According to The Atlantic magazine (June 2012), apps are now available to transform us into "thinner, richer, all-around-better versions of ourselves.”[1]
Want to lose weight, become wealthy or break a bad habit? There's an app for that! It is behavior modification, supported by smartphone technology.[2] There is an app called “Lose It!” that will help make losing weight a reality. If you want to save money and build wealth, Mint.com has an app that will track expenses, budget and manage your money, remind you when bills are due, find you an insurance quote and provide investment advice. There are at least a thousand apps for those who want to quit smoking.
So there is an app for everything, even for breaking bad habits.
While in the wilderness, Jesus watched his own behavior carefully knowing that there is a direct relationship between personal habits and ones quality of life. Jesus made a set of choices; choices that developed into good habits for us; ones that will change our lives for the better. Jesus gave us support, guidelines and ammunition to defend ourselves against temptation. Jesus developed some apps for us to strengthen us to resist temptation. They are from the three confrontations Jesus had with Satan.
The first one is the “Trust God, not self” app.[3] Jesus is starving. He hasn’t eaten in 40 days, so he’s pretty famished. Satan takes advantage of Jesus in his current state daring him to turn the stones all around him into bread. Jesus knows he can do this and Satan knows he can do this. Jesus would love something to eat. And there are so many people who are hungry, too. If he turns the stones into bread, he could feed himself and hungry poor people. If he turns the stones into bread, he would essentially be bribing people with materials things to come follow him. Jesus references Deuteronomy 8:3 as he responds to Satan, “A person will never find life in material things.” The primary task for Jesus is to make and create new people; their conditions will follow.
The second one is the “Serve only God” app.[4] Satan shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, promising him that they would be his if he worshipped Satan. This offer is a reasonable one, because think of all the good Jesus could do if he had authority over the kingdoms of the world. With a single command, he could eliminate poverty, disease, hunger, injustice, violence and abuse and people would follow him. But what Satan is asking Jesus to do is to compromise his own standards and beliefs with the power of evil. Jesus responds, again taken from Deuteronomy, saying, “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only”. God is God, right is right and wrong is wrong. “There can be no compromise in the war on evil”.[5]
This app is a tough one for us, because we're asked to make compromises every day. Do we work overtime to make money for our family, or go home at a normal hour to spend time with our family? Do we save money by buying products manufactured in countries where workers are exploited, or do we pay a little more for American-made goods? Do we push for better environmental standards, even when protecting the environment will hinder certain industries? These are tough choices, and none of them breaks down into good versus evil, God versus the devil.
But what Jesus is asking us to do is serve God ahead of ourselves, putting God's interests ahead of our own success. Jesus could've had great earthly success if he had worshiped the devil, but instead he chose to focus on serving God. We can do the same, by turning to God in prayer when we are confronted by a choice between overtime and family time. We can commit ourselves to loving our neighbors as ourselves before we purchase a particular item. We can take seriously our role as stewards of God's creation when we take stands on the economy and the environment, knowing that God wants us both to use and to preserve the resources of the earth. If we apply ourselves to serving only God, we will find a faithful path through these challenges.[6]
The third and final one is the “Do not put God to the test” app.[7] Satan takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem and tempts him to throw himself down so that angels of God could save him from the fall. Satan is clever enough to quote God’s Word to Jesus. Jesus trusts God to save him in times of trouble, but he is not going to tell God how to do it. Even at the end of his life, he does not ask God to rush in and rescue him from the cross. This is the temptation to make a spectacle of himself to the people.
Let’s be honest with ourselves, we’ve all put God to the test. We’ve all had those moments in our lives when we cried out to God, “Dear God, if you get me an “A” on this test, I will go to church every Sunday.” Or perhaps, “O God, if you get me that job promotion, I’ll stop cursing and gossiping for a week.” Or perhaps even, “Lord, if you want me to stop and buy some donuts, let there be an open parking spot directly in front of the bakery, even if I have to around the block twelve times.” These are examples of bargaining with God making promises to do something for specific kinds of help. It’s all about God’s will, not our own.
Looking at the entire temptation story, we see that all of Jesus' choices enable him to remain close to God and his divine agenda.
If there is some temptation you are trying to resist, you must be intentional about it. The idea is to think specifically about your temptation and about the situation in which you are most likely to see it. Then, there are two things you can do. First, resolve to stick with your goal, even when you encounter the temptation. Second, make a specific plan to help you stick with your goal. In the case of a tempting piece of chocolate cake, for example, consider walking away from it. If you are at a restaurant, and someone else is eating the cake, think about getting a cup of coffee or a glass of water instead.[8] We must be intentional with how we live life.
Though Jesus refused to turn stones into bread, he did feed the hungry. Though he refused political power, the proclamation of God’s empire of justice and peace is the focus of his preaching and teaching. Though he refused to jump off the temple to see if God would send angels to catch him, he goes to the cross in confidence that God’s Will for all life will trump the world’s decision to execute him.[9]
Trusting God, serving God and not putting God to the test. These are the apps that Jesus uses in his own time of trial, and they are habits that he recommends we apply to our own struggles.
If we change our habits, we can change our lives. If we can change our lives, we can change the world.
[1] Freedman, David H. "The perfected self.” The
Atlantic, June 2012, 42-52.
[5]
The Daily Study Bible Series: The Gospel of Luke. By William Barclay. (Philadelphia:
The Westminster Press, 1976) p. 44.
[8]
Art Markman,
"Harness the power of temptation,” Psychology Today, October 18, 2011,
psychologytoday.com.
[9]
Sharon H. Ringe, Reflection on Luke 4:1-13. Daily
Feast: Meditations from Feasting on the Word – Year C. (Louisville:
Westminster John Knox Press, 2012)p.170.
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