smart phone “mirror app” and the Bible

... is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

This sounds like something the "mirror app" on your smart phone could help with, doesn't it?  That's what I immediately thought of when I read the quote above.  If you forget what you look like - just whip out your phone and open the "mirror app".

Seriously though - there's more to this than meets the eye (pun intended).

But before we get serious - just in case you don't know what the "mirror app" is, let me fill you in.  The cheap version is to just turn on the front facing camera on your phone and hold it in front of your face.  If you can't see close-up things very well - zoom in.  If you need more, either go to the Google Play Store or the Apple's iTunes  and check them out.

So - the full sentence that has the quote above is -

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

That's from James 1:23-24.  It's in a section the NIV titles Listening and Doing.  It's in between two other sets of verses that talk about things we need to watch out for.  We're going to look at the other passages first, then come back to this one.

Anger

Jas 1:19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

When I read this, I thought of all the rage that's so prevalent these days.  I Googled "rage".  As usual, there was am image section.  Six of the first 10 images were of a devil.  How's that for appropriately assigning the source?  The surprising thing was that while I expected to find things like road rage, I also got a number of entries on the first page for a video game, a movie and a (musical) band.  As a sad commentary on politics today - there was also one on Donald Trump.  

It seems like we have a problem listening, waiting to speak, and being slow to get angry.  In reality, I suspect much of it comes from an inability to listen.  Too often, we assume we know what the other person's going to say - and maybe even, because of the assumption, don't care what they're going to say - and jump right into responding.  Then they react likewise.  And we re-react.  And they react likewise.  Before very long - we've gone way past anger - and almost straight to rage.  

I wonder, do we even know what "listen" means anymore?  Here's what it used to mean -

191 ἀκουστός, ἀκούω [akouo /ak·oo·o/] v. A root; TDNT 1:216; TDNTA 34; GK 200 and 201; 437 occurrences; AV translates as “hear” 418 times, “hearken” six times, “give audience” three times, “hearer” twice, and translated miscellaneously eight times. 1 to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf. 2 to hear. 2B to attend to, consider what is or has been said. 2C to understand, perceive the sense of what is said. 3 to hear something. 3A to perceive by the ear what is announced in one’s presence. 3B to get by hearing learn. 3C a thing comes to one’s ears, to find out, learn. 3E to give ear to a teaching or a teacher. 3F to comprehend, to understand.  ¹Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.

And here's what it means now -

Listen - verb (used without object)
1. to give attention with the ear; attend closely for the purpose of hearing; give ear.
2. to pay attention; heed; obey (often followed by to):
    Children don't always listen to their parents.
3. to wait attentively for a sound (usually followed by for):
    to listen for sounds of their return.
4. Informal. to convey a particular impression to the hearer; sound:
    The new recording doesn't listen as well as the old one.

verb (used with object)
5. Archaic. to give ear to; hear.

Verb phrases
6. listen in,
    a. to listen to a radio or television broadcast:
        Listen in tomorrow for the names of the lottery winners.
    b. to overhear a conversation or communication, especially by telephone; eavesdrop:
        Someone was listening in to his private calls.   ²http://www.dictionary.com/browse/listen?s=t