Apple may have begun as a fruit but, today, if someone says “apple,” we may not be thinking of a Red Delicious but of a tech company in Cupertino, California in the midst of Silicon Valley. Founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne on April 1, 1976, Jobs is certainly the most recognizable name.
As of June 2024, Apple is barely the number one tech company with a market cap value of $3.3+ trillion. Microsoft and Apple continue to vie back and forth for the top spot with Microsoft also having a $3.3+trillion market cap value. Apple’s “+” is just a tiny bit bigger than Microsoft’s. They are followed by Nvidia at $3.2 trillion.
In October 2003, Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic islet cell neuroendocrine tumor. Pancreatic cancer tends to be the quickest and most lethal form of cancer, but Jobs had a rare form that is more treatable. After a variety of treatments, both medical and natural, Jobs seemed to be fighting it well until the cancer returned in 2006.
By August 24, 2011, Jobs could no longer function at his work according to expectations. He resigned from Apple as its CEO and became the chairman of the board. He held this position until one day before his death. Jobs died on this day, 2011.
One would hope that Jobs found comfort and solace from Jesus in his life and especially in this journey through cancer. Sadly, that’s not the case unless it happened in his final moments.
Raised in a Lutheran church, Jobs had renounced Christianity. Later in life, he had fully embraced Buddhism. His biographer, Walter Issacson, was sitting with Jobs one day a few months before his death. He writes, “I remember sitting in his backyard in his garden one day and he started talking about God,” recalled Isaacson. “He said, ‘Sometimes I believe in God, sometimes I don’t. I think it’s 50-50 maybe. But ever since I’ve had cancer, I’ve been thinking about it more. And I find myself believing a bit more. I kind of – maybe it’s cause I want to believe in an afterlife. That when you die, it doesn’t just all disappear. The wisdom you’ve accumulated. Somehow it lives on.'”
“Isaacson continued, “Then he paused for a second and he said, ‘Yeah, but sometimes I think it’s just like an on-off switch. Click and you’re gone.’ He paused again, and he said, ‘And that’s why I don’t like putting on-off switches on Apple devices.'”
“Jobs also brought up death during his discussions with Isaacson and questioned the meaning of his own existence.
“I saw my life as an arc,” Jobs said in a recording aired on the show. “And that it would end and compared to that nothing mattered. You’re born alone, you’re gonna die alone. And does anything else really matter? I mean what is it exactly, is it that you have to lose Steve? You know? There’s nothing.”1
How ironic that the creator of a communications giant wasn’t in communication with the most important Person in the universe!
I don’t know the condition of Steve Jobs’ heart the moment he died. I can only base my comments on what he said. Twice, the Psalmist wrote, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” (Psalms 14:1) Jobs addressed the ’05 graduating class from Stanford and left them with these words: “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”2
You can be a Mensa genius and still be a fool.
Communication with the God of the universe requires no technology. We don’t need a better range on our cell phones, more cell towers, or a MacBook Pro 16.2 inch with the M3Max chip and 8 TB of storage. We need Jesus.
John 14:6 clearly states, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” There’s no exceptions to this.
Knowing eternity is going to last a really long time and that there is only one way to be ready, we need to make a big decision NOW. I hope in the final moments of Jobs’ life that he made that decision. Since we don’t know when eternity might begin, we had better follow the advice found in Amos 4:12. “Prepare to meet thy God.”
1https://www.christiantoday.com.au/news/steve-jobs-biographer-reveals-his-struggle-with-religion-faith-in-god.html
2https://www.cnn.com/2011/10/05/tech/innovation/steve-jobs-philosophy/index.html
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