Episode 15: Philippians 2:5-11

Translation: Common English Bible (CEB)

3 Questions:
What word, phrase or image strikes you in this text?
Toward what is God calling you in this text?
What does it look like to empty yourself?

Additional texts:
Mark 11:1-11
John 12:12-16
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 31:9-16
Mark 14:1--15:47

Transcript

00:00.00
nathanpile
Welcome back siblings to tend a bible podcast. The sun is out the grass is not yet growing but the ground is getting warmer which it might be time to plant some seeds. But today we're gonna.

00:13.56
Kevin Shock
Um.

00:19.73
nathanpile
We're gonna spend some time in scripture and see what god plants in us. Yeah, you like that there we go. So ah this week we're looking at Philippians the second chapter verses five through eleven

00:24.60
Kevin Shock
Oh I Like what you did there. Nice.

00:38.85
nathanpile
And we're going to use the translation the common english bible and if you have the common english bible. You can follow along or you can follow along with whatever translation. You have our 3 questions this week what word phrase or image strikes you in this text toward what is god calling you in this text. And the third question. What does it look like to empty yourself. Mm.

01:02.61
Kevin Shock
This is a disclaimer about who we are Nathan and Kevin are men married to women in financially stable households white in our late 40 s college and seminary educated. We work in the lutheran church and we're born and raised in Western Pennsylvania all this affects how we read scripture and discuss it. But none of this makes us better able to read and discuss scripture than anyone else. We believe that the wisdom of scripture is the whole community's compiled interpretation for life with god and with one another. So we want to know what you hear and think from your life experience and perspective on social media at 10 bible podcast and 10 dot bible podcast at Gmail.com that's how you can let us know but all right.

01:52.36
nathanpile
There We go there, you go? yeah.

01:58.14
Kevin Shock
Ah, so from philippians the second chapter from the common english bible adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus though he was in the form of god he did not consider being equal with god something to exploit but he emptied himself by taking the form of a slave. By becoming like human beings when he found himself in the form of a human he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on a cross therefore god highly honored him and gave him a name above all names. So that at at the name of Jesus everyone in heaven on earth and under the earth might bow and every tongue confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of god the father if you are meeting with a group you can. Pause the podcast now and engage the questions on your own. But Nathan since you and I are together I will ask you first what word phrase or image strikes you in this text.

03:01.68
nathanpile
Ah, the word this time was Exploit I actually had a great thought vortex about that word exploit as you were reading it? Um, ah like first I thought ah just about the word exploiting. But. But then I thought about well like where do I exploit my my my power or my control or more. Um.

03:36.76
nathanpile
Yeah, and so thinking about thinking about um like I were the word Exploit would be something that I would think we would want to distance ourselves from um, just by the sound of it. Just by as you said it, it just kind of was a harsh word in my ears but then I quickly was thinking about whoa but like what are the ways like I'm a selfish human being I know that? um so what are the ways that I Exploit. Um.

04:11.90
nathanpile
Not that I'm anywhere near what? um, who Jesus is um, but that idea of that there's some that you know is there something that I to exploit um in my life I don't believe that I'm equal with god I don't believe I'm equal with Jesus in any way shape or form. But. What are the ways that I exploit um the you know that the big list of disclaimers that you read here at the beginning of all of those things that we have like it seems.

04:49.34
nathanpile
Um, unrealistic to me that I live with all of those blessings in my life that that you kind of name for us and that I don't use them to my advantage because like I think we're trained in our culture to be savvy enough to.

05:09.23
nathanpile
To use what we have to our advantage and so it it seems hard. Um, it seems hard for me to to imagine that I haven't taken those advantages that I have been given to me and that I haven't exploited them in some ways. Um.

05:10.20
Kevin Shock
Yeah, yeah.

05:27.76
nathanpile
And who I am.

05:32.28
Kevin Shock
Yeah, yeah, and I think even um, even if you don't exploit them to take them for granted. Um like that's you know that that your. The way that you experience things must be the way that everyone else experiences things and that's kind of the point of our disclaimer at the beginning is that we understand that people experience the world and all that comes with the world in a variety of different ways and. Just by nature of being different people. So But yeah, that's um, that's a helpful thing to think about for me is thinking about? Yeah what?? What do I How do I take Advantage. Of the things that I've been given. Um yeah, and and sometimes I think exploitation I think you're right I Don't think there's any good way to read Exploit Um I mean the the word has a negative connotation. Whichever way you look at it.

06:37.34
nathanpile
Yeah, at least as I heard it today like there wasn't like I wasn't like boy. There's a positive way to spin this um ah like when I think about no exploitation. It's always negative.

06:52.38
Kevin Shock
Yeah, yeah, right.

06:54.70
nathanpile
I Don't mean to laugh I don't mean to laugh about those who have been exploited but like it just doesn't I don't even know how I could spin it differently. So like I said there was a lot my thought vortex went me took me in lots of places and that was one of them like can you can this be a positive thing.

07:04.61
Kevin Shock
Um, yeah.

07:13.30
nathanpile
Um, but it just doesn't feel like it.

07:15.58
Kevin Shock
Yeah, no I know I agree with you I agree with you I mean the positive here is that Jesus did did not it you right? did not exploit. Yeah, um.

07:19.90
nathanpile
Um, isn't yeah no, which in and of itself would be so tempting to be the son of God Um, you know to have all of that power and again.

07:30.95
Kevin Shock
The um.

07:36.61
nathanpile
That speaks to who god is who Jesus is um that that that is not that's not on the agenda.

07:37.32
Kevin Shock
Right? right.

07:45.68
Kevin Shock
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean that's that's kind of Paul's whole point here to the church in Philippi isn't it that um that we and we should adopt the attitude that Jesus had um yeah because that was his yeah it wasn't. He had. He had all the power in the universe and he did not. He did not take it for granted. He did not misuse it. He um, he remained obedient to the will of god even though he could have in ah in myriad ways.

08:22.86
Kevin Shock
Done Whatever he wanted to do So yeah.

08:24.40
nathanpile
No, how about you What the word phrase or image strikes you in this passage.

08:32.83
Kevin Shock
Yeah, um, it's that in this reading, it's that first it's that first line adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus I um, in in the translation that I'm most used to reading it says be of the same mind. Um, or or have the same mind that Christ Jesus had ah but both in common english bible and the new english translation. The word. There is attitude and there's I don't know there's something about that word attitude that. Ah, yeah I don't it. It. It speaks to me I mean I I understand what be of the same mind that was in Christ Jesus means but something about adopting his attitude is something that just speaks to me where I am right now. Um. Had as we record this It's a Sunday and I had a conversation with someone at the church where I was one of the churches where I was preaching this morning and um, you know we were talking about the health the health of the church and of congregations and. And ah, you know he describes his congregation as a small and a small but mighty 1 which I agree with um, ah but we we have a discussion about how much depends on the attitude that you have ah, not just and as an individual but as a faith community.

09:58.47
nathanpile
M.

10:05.40
Kevin Shock
And you know there there are people might look at at this congregation and think oh well, you know if if that one closes you know it'll be sad, but but you know life will continue and and I think it's just um, ah. I Disagree in this particular instance because this is ah this is a congregation that um, though that though they don't have a called pastor and um, you know and they're small and they're Aging. Ah. They really have. It's always a delight to go and worship with them because they um I don't know they just they're not.. They're not focused on themselves about everything or really anything. They're always thinking about the community around them.

11:00.73
Kevin Shock
And um, and they think it's important that they're there for the community around them and I agree with them. Um, and ah I guess the word I don't think we use the word attitude but ah, but we had a conversation about how a lot depends on the attitude that we have as people of faith. Um, the the outward the outward characteristics like the number of people that are there worshiping on Sunday and and whether or not you have your own pastor and things like that may not make as much difference as the attitude that you have and um, yeah. And this is just a place that I think they they under they understand a little bit about what this what this reading means that this yeah I was just gonna say that that this life and this life of faith is about um, giving giving of yourself for the sake of others because that's um.

11:43.30
nathanpile
No well and and go ahead.

11:58.58
Kevin Shock
That's the way that Jesus has been toward you and and you have received blessing and you have received love and so it just makes sense to be a blessing and to love others.

12:11.30
nathanpile
Ah, well and and um in our household we talk a lot about um the only things that we can control ourselves and one of the things that we can control in ourselves is our attitude. Um you know and and and so how do we adopt an attitude.

12:22.11
Kevin Shock
Yeah.

12:30.80
nathanpile
Um, that mirrors the light of Christ um, in our words and actions that you know that's that's that's a doable thing like we can adopt an attitude. We can't be Christ I would never say that to anyone we preach it.

12:46.58
Kevin Shock
Oh.

12:49.65
nathanpile
Or or advise it but to be able to to seek an attitude. Um that mirrors what Christ has done before us that seems that seems doable to me. We're not again, we're not going to do it perfectly. Um. But that's something that that what my attitude is how I choose to treat others and act by my actions. By my words, my tone all of those pieces. So yeah, that's powerful. Powerful message for us I think as as god's people today.

13:30.57
Kevin Shock
Yeah, and I think that that's something that I take into consideration more the older I get and that is what kind of attitude I present to the world and and by the world I Just mean everyone.

13:37.31
nathanpile
Yes, yeah.

13:49.74
Kevin Shock
Outside of me. Um, and and I feel like as I've gotten older I've gotten better at recognizing you know when I when I lose my cool with somebody or you know something like that like I've gotten I've gotten.

14:07.73
Kevin Shock
Ah, better at self-differentiation and being able to say you know, um what you said or did you know hurt me or annoyed me or you know or but um, but it wasn't right of me to react the way that I did and ah like I feel like I'm.

14:27.82
Kevin Shock
I'm not good I'm not good at it if I if I were really good at it I wouldn't react you know poorly in any situation. But that's not unfortunately not the case. Um I've just gotten better at realizing that so much of um so much of what goes into human relationships. For me, it is my own attitude and and it and it is the one I mean you're right? It's It's one of the few things that I can control um or at least that I have some agency over ah but also um.

14:48.74
nathanpile
M.

15:05.81
Kevin Shock
It's such an important factor in how my relationships go.

15:12.58
nathanpile
A turf.

15:15.26
Kevin Shock
Like like our attitude our attitude matters and and I think that I think that that's you know, part of the part of the problem we see in the world with so much division and um and rancor and you know hatred it. It comes down to attitude it. It. And and and I don't I guess I don't use that word lightly but you know if if we have a poor outlook on other people. It's going to your people are going to be able to tell no.

15:51.85
Kevin Shock
and and I guess I think you know to bring it back to the text. Um Jesus came as a uniter not as a divider I mean there is scripture that says you know where he says I came to divide but that's a different context. I mean this here he came to unite everyone in the love and presence of god and um and so his attitude is reflective of that he didn't he didn't fight for his own way. Um, he was obedient to god's way.

16:27.64
Kevin Shock
And um and and showed people what that means? yeah.

16:36.93
Kevin Shock
Well let's look at it a second time.

16:37.91
nathanpile
Yeah.

16:49.42
nathanpile
Um, Philippians chapter 2 adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus though he was in the form of god he did not consider being equal with god something to exploit.

17:06.50
nathanpile
But he emptied himself by taking the form of a slave and by becoming like human beings when he found himself in the form of a human he humbly he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on a cross therefore. God highly honored him and gave him a name above all names so that at the name of Jesus everyone in heaven on earth and under the earth might bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of god the father. Toward what is god calling you in this text. Kevin.

17:48.56
Kevin Shock
I had I had an answer when you started reading and then it changed. Um I don't I don't even remember what the first answer was now that I'm trying to think back on it because I was so struck by the um, he humbled himself.

17:55.33
nathanpile
Oh.

18:06.99
Kevin Shock
Ah, and I think that this I think that's what this text is calling me toward humbling myself. Um the the thing that 1 thing that kind of grabs hold of me as we read this reading are those are the last. 3 verses that you know it's it. It Paul kind of Paul's quoting what what we what scholars believe is an early christian hymn in this letter That's what that's what this section is and. You know there's that there are these words about Jesus coming and pouring himself out emptying himself humbling himself taking on the form of a slave being like human beings um becoming a human being ah and then.

19:00.76
Kevin Shock
And then he dies and then it sounds like there's this nice neat wrap up of ah you know so then god honors him raises him up. Ah, he has all this power so the name of at at the name of Jesus everyone. Heaven on earth and under the earth might bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of god the father. Um but I don't I don't know I think it's easy as a human being to read that and see here hear Jesus kind of saying to human beings see I showed you. I did the right thing and now you all have to bow down before me. Um I don't think I don't think that's what that is I think I think that what is happening here is that um human beings. Um, ideally human beings at seeing the example.

19:38.21
nathanpile
And.

19:53.32
Kevin Shock
Ah, Jesus and being freed by him ah then adopt their own attitude of humility and obedience and bow down before him willingly in united fashion recognizing that his way is ah. A good way. Ah, a perfect way. A complete way. Um, and they confess his name not under duress or because he's forcing them to but because they know how good his name is and his reality is. And so there's there's something here. Um I I hear in in us reading this today I hear echoes of his humility in all of humankind and so that's what that's what I'm feeling called into. Ah, to to humble myself. Um, both before him and before other people as well. There's there's something in my mind, a great importance in recognizing that Jesus is. Both human and divine. Um, and also great importance in recognizing that all human beings are human just like me. But you know even the even the people I'm opposed to.

21:28.40
Kevin Shock
In in in in thought or in you know I mean well not that I'm necessarily opposed to people but but I mean I guess you know I am maybe not actively. Ah, even those people have fears and desires and hurts just like I do. And um, and I think Humility takes those things into consideration. Ah, ah, especially when we are tempted to exploit what we've been given I think that's what I think it comes back to what you were saying.

21:53.73
nathanpile
Now.

22:05.94
Kevin Shock
So.

22:07.57
nathanpile
Well and and everything that you're saying like my my answer to this is is I would use the word humble um, but just as you were sharing your thoughts. You know it. It takes me back to again. All of this passage passage talks about Jesus becoming. Ah, human being and so that takes me back to toward the beginning of our lives as kids where um, as as ah as a infant I cry when I wanted any attention because the world was about like pay attention to me. Yeah, and.

22:43.64
nathanpile
and and and I wish I could say that though I've matured and and I don't cry typically to get attention anymore. Um I use other phrases like or other ways of getting people to look at me. Give me their attention. Um, because it's still about me me me me me, me, you know it's it's our human condition and so we have this piece of of Jesus coming into the world from the very beginning um talks about Jesus coming and being human and um.

23:21.30
nathanpile
And yet again, our human ways is not Jesus's way Jesus is able to remain humble and calls us to again adopt that attitude. Um, but but by our nature we so you know i'm. You know, much older than an infant at this point in my life but to um to say that I still don't have the me me me desire. Um all throughout my my day would be a lie. You know, um.

23:56.00
Kevin Shock
Um, yeah.

23:56.62
nathanpile
I Don't need my parent now to go get me food I don't need my parent to pick me up and hold me um, but you know I I still want to be noticed I Still want to be accepted I Still want to be valued and and you add on top of that. All of our social media.

24:10.94
Kevin Shock
Um, yeah, yeah.

24:16.19
nathanpile
All that's all what that is you know all ah all of social media land is is about hey notice me um, I'm I'm working on a thing for our young adults that are coming here in a couple of weeks and and so I've been working on that program and so I've been reading a book and it's talking about. Um. It's talking about all technology I just happened to be reading the last couple of days chapters on social media specifically and so again, this passage kind of strikes me in my face of how mefocused our world is like we're creating whole whole. Um, applications for our phones and for our computers that when they when they are created again I think there there's real potential in them. But when it becomes about the food that I ate or the vacation that I took you know ah like this author was kind of. Saying you know, no one likes to be left out of a trip so like so like when we go on a trip take a bunch of beautiful pictures of us at the beach and like it's about me like I'm not putting it out there for any other reason other than for.

25:30.54
nathanpile
Somebody else to kind of look at it and say oh look what Nathan's doing um and in some way wanting to make them jealous I guess um sure I want people to know what I'm doing but more likely than not the people that are close to me in my life already knew I was going away.

25:47.33
Kevin Shock
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

25:50.51
nathanpile
Ah, so it's like me just kind of so I don't know that like this this piece of Jesus being um, unselfish this again your your word was humbled I think my my way looking at this was was going to be talking about us being unselfish. Um.

26:09.96
nathanpile
You know that that it it is our it is our lifelong struggle is is that sinful nature in ourselves that we want to make ourselves a center of the world. Um, and Jesus is able to. Show us god's way of of not making the world centered around. Um you know to center it around the other the other as you say the that we give up our selfish wants. So that we can focus on the other and and Jesus is Jesus lives that out in in here as we approach holy week these last days of Jesus Jesus lives out that example, um.

27:03.47
nathanpile
Where it is more about the people of God than it is about what I want.

27:11.10
Kevin Shock
yeah yeah yeah I mean we we may talk about it in and in a bonus episode coming up. But I mean Jesus says very definitively to god um, not what I want but what you want when it comes to his own suffering and death.

27:23.90
nathanpile
Yeah, yeah, yeah, there's the there's an there is a um, unselfish and obedience of god's Jesus's faithfulness into god's way.

27:27.96
Kevin Shock
Yeah, yeah.

27:34.50
Kevin Shock
Yeah.

27:40.30
nathanpile
So that we can see that.

27:42.45
Kevin Shock
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you gave me a lot of food for thought in your response 1 thing that I thought of was that reminded me of something that ah my reformation history professor at seminary Timothy Wengert

28:00.25
Kevin Shock
When he talked about babies um said that babies are the most most selfish creatures on the planet. Um, because for exactly what you name. Ah they cry whenever they want want touch. They cry whenever they're hungry. They cry whenever you know they neither diaper Changed. Um. But it's they are they are at the center of their own world and and understandably so I mean the part of that's that's all the world. They know, um and thank goodness that there's some ah biological. Ah you know? ah.

28:24.56
nathanpile
Sure right.

28:38.70
Kevin Shock
Structure in our Dna that um tells adults that it's a good thing to pay attention to these selfish little creatures because they need us to ah but but you know to your point if right if we acted like baby I mean what do we say whenever someone's being selfish.

28:46.99
nathanpile
Yeah, right.

28:56.79
Kevin Shock
We say oh you're acting like a child. Yeah yeah, and we mean it in a derogatory manner. Um, because we're because what we're being. We're being selfish and that's not to say that I mean it's a valid need that people have to have.

28:57.10
nathanpile
Excellent. Yeah. Sure.

29:13.41
Kevin Shock
Some kind of Affection. You know feel some kind of belonging have their and their physical needs taken care of Um, but I do think it comes down to yeah how how do you?? How do you get those needs Met um and. Um, yeah I Just I I think ah the other thing that you got me thinking about was um, the verses that lead up to these verses in in the letter to the Philippians and.

29:49.20
Kevin Shock
That addresses how people get their needs met um because in this in this way of Jesus in the way of Jesus' ' community. Everyone is looking out for the needs of other people. They're not looking out for their own needs. But they're looking out for the needs of everyone else and so what that means is that your needs are being taken care of just not by yourself which is ah which is a difficult thing for us to swallow because we um, we sometimes think that we know best what we need and ah.

30:26.00
Kevin Shock
And and there's a fear that if we don't take care of it that no one else will but Paul sets out pretty clearly that that's that's not the way of Jesus or his or his followers. We're always looking out for one. Another's needs. It doesn't really happen very well in this world. But um, but at least I hold out hope that it could so. Yeah yeah, I appreciate your reflections on that. It's helpful helpful to hear. It's just what it.

30:51.97
nathanpile
Yours as well.

31:02.34
Kevin Shock
Yeah, that kind of to think about what it means to be selfish. Um, you know everyone has valid needs. But but how we how we meet them how we address them. That's that's the line between the.

31:18.72
Kevin Shock
Acting with humility and acting in an exploitative manner I think yeah.

31:23.37
nathanpile
Yeah, yeah, that's a great way to pull the read this whole reading into um life today that that like we we do have to meet our own needs again I don't want anyone to think that Kevin and I don't like babies because they cry but like yeah.

31:36.96
Kevin Shock
Well yeah, no I know babies babies are fine. Yeah, um, yeah, that's I think.

31:40.58
nathanpile
We have needs that have to be met. But again your your line of humble and exploit how you know you know how we live that? Um, whether it's a pendulum or ah, um, you know that those are the two sides of the the seesaw. Um, we're living closer to that humble side. Um, and it's not all about us.

32:07.50
Kevin Shock
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you said 2 slightly different things there in your reflection one. The first thing you said was we have to meet our own needs which I disagree with but but then you corrected it later on you said we have to have our needs met and that's that's the.

32:19.46
nathanpile
Yeah them. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

32:24.12
Kevin Shock
That's the truth there. It's when it's when we try to meet all our own needs that we run the risk of being of exploiting what we have and exploiting other people. Yeah them all right? Well let's look at this? yeah 1 more time.

32:30.60
nathanpile
Yes.

32:37.27
nathanpile
All right? third time through.

32:45.77
Kevin Shock
Philippians 2 5 through 11 adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus though he was in the form of god he did not consider being equal with god something to exploit but he emptied himself by taking the form of a slave and by becoming like human beings. When he found himself in the form of a human he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on a cross therefore god highly honored him and gave him a name above all names so that at the name of Jesus every one in heaven on earth and under the earth might bow and every tongue confess. That Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of god the father Nathan what does it look like to empty yourself.

33:31.52
nathanpile
Um I don't know if I have um, a clear image of that. Um I I know.

33:46.57
nathanpile
What it feels like to be depleted but but I'm not positive that's empty. Um because I like when I think about.

33:49.94
Kevin Shock
Oh oh there, you? okay.

33:59.51
Kevin Shock
Ah.

34:04.50
nathanpile
Um, being depleted or or exhausted a lot of times my my focus has been probably around my work and though I want to believe that all of my work is god's.

34:22.53
nathanpile
I also know that that's not that Nathan is a pretty strong type a personality and so sometimes some of my exhaustion is Nathan's fault and has nothing to do with god's call on me and so so there's a part of me that says.

34:31.66
Kevin Shock
Ah, ah.

34:40.47
nathanpile
Like I know what it feels like to be drained. Um, but I'm not positive. It's the emptied here. Um that Paul is writing of um again I think I would.

34:48.88
Kevin Shock
Me who.

34:58.34
nathanpile
Would like to think that it that that my that my um exhaustion is me putting it all out there for god um, in the ministry that is camp in the summer that that's where I'm thinking about how I feel at the end of a summer and we've. We've talked about that and and typically the the early fall end of summer podcasts when I exhaust and we've talked those those those ah other times. Um, but I'm not positive. It's that unselfish humble. There's some of that.

35:21.80
Kevin Shock
Yeah, yeah, yes, we have about that.

35:35.70
nathanpile
Absolutely that's involved in that but I don't know if all of it is to be honest and so like the word empty for whatever reason has me a little um, cautious to say that I that I truly know.

35:54.93
nathanpile
What it's like to empty myself to be because because there's a big part of Nathan making up Nathan it's positive I can ever fully you know I'm a I'm a human being um you know and so.

35:57.56
Kevin Shock
Um, yeah.

36:13.63
nathanpile
Um, this idea of empty to me feels holy and and maybe that's why it's hard for me to because Jesus does it I don't believe I can live into it in the same way and so maybe that's part of why i'm. Ah, trying to hedge my bet here a little bit in answering this question and saying I don't know if I have experienced what that is because there's still a part of selfish Nathan even in my exhaustion still trying to maybe do something. That isn't about being unselfish and humble. So I think that's my my piece. What about you? What? what? the.

36:55.91
Kevin Shock
Oh.

37:05.40
Kevin Shock
Yeah, well,, that's I I appreciate that you brought up that um you brought up that experience of knowing what it's like to feel depleted I think I've I know I felt that way before too and. Yeah, and it's not.. It's not that I feel depleted necessarily out of some like you know?? Ah, holy act that I've been engaging in. Um sometimes you just get tired because you're working too hard or you know things are.

37:36.26
nathanpile
Here.

37:41.57
Kevin Shock
Sometimes you even get tired because you're trying to control things more than you need to control things I mean that's that's the truth of it too. Um, and I think it's easy for people in a profession like ours where we you know where we can say things like you know.

37:43.81
nathanpile
Yeah.

38:00.52
Kevin Shock
I Do Ministry for a living you know I mean that ah and that we can run the risk of pretending that everything we do is selfless and and in the name of Ministry or in the name of God when in reality it might just be that we're not keeping healthy boundaries or.

38:01.87
nathanpile
Right? and.

38:10.60
nathanpile
Okay, yeah.

38:18.40
nathanpile
No.

38:20.34
Kevin Shock
You know? or or we're where um, we're we're doing. We're doing something so that we get our own accolades or you know I mean there's there's all kinds of temptation and all kinds of um, misguided action that can be involved in that. Ah so yeah I know what it means to. What it feels like to be depleted too so you had me thinking about what's what's the difference with Jesus then um because I I know that Jesus felt depleted at times in the Gospel. Um, and I also know that when he felt depleted. he he retreated

38:56.35
Kevin Shock
Into his relationship with god and and I think that there's a there's maybe there's a bit of a difference in exhausting myself. Um mean Jesus perhaps i.

39:15.65
Kevin Shock
I Think I think when I'm exhausting myself and not not emptying myself. This is the distinction I'm going to make so this is this is not this is moving from my reflection on what you said into my actual answer um the distinction for me is when. I am exhausting myself. It still is about myself I'm still focused on me and and even even if even if there's like outward focus on serving other people helping other people. Ah you know.

39:49.89
Kevin Shock
Ah, even if I'm focused on doing things for other people. The focus my own internal focus on my exhaustion is about me and um I think maybe the difference for Jesus is that he but.

40:08.98
Kevin Shock
Pours himself out. He puts all of his life and time and energy into serving others in the certain trust that god will not let go of him. That he always has the security of that relationship and and that's not to say that I'm I'm sure that Jesus felt exhausted but I'm also sure that um in the midst of his exhaustion. There was a constant.

40:42.92
Kevin Shock
Conversation going on between him and God about what what was happening what he was feeling what he was doing um and sometimes my internal dialogue is just about oh man I'm so tired.

40:58.70
nathanpile
Right.

41:00.75
Kevin Shock
And and I'm not I'm not ah I'm not actually saying That's a God I'm just saying that to myself you know to acknowledge that I that I have exhausted myself or I feel Exhausted. Um. So I think that maybe the difference between exhausting oneself and emptying oneself is is where we stand in our relationship with God or or even maybe it has to do with what we were talking about the beginning of the podcast attitude that um.

41:32.47
Kevin Shock
It's so easy. Um I you know I Ah I I don't like I don't like to confess things about myself during the podcast but I will um you know I can remember at a time earlier on in our marriage. Um.

41:52.48
Kevin Shock
I Think by nature I'm ah I'm a giving person. Um, but there are times that I would you know, kind of well if I'm being honest if things weren't going my way or or my dear spouse was not reacting to my.

41:54.13
nathanpile
Oh.

42:10.29
Kevin Shock
You know, selfless action the way that I wanted her to ah she would say things to me like stop being a martyr and and that and like that stung you know when she would say that um but looking back on it. Ah.

42:22.80
nathanpile
Me.

42:29.13
Kevin Shock
She was right? You know I was what I was doing was I was making a situation where I was doing something for her or doing something for someone else I was making that about me and and that's not emptying yourself. That's that's seeking some kind of praise or.

42:38.96
nathanpile
M.

42:47.90
Kevin Shock
Or doing something that by outward appearance is selfless but inwardly, it's done for selfish Motives Um, and and so I think I think in its pure form emptying oneself is.

42:54.24
nathanpile
Right.

43:03.63
Kevin Shock
Giving your life your time your energy for the sake of somebody else or other people. Um and really trusting that all of your needs are going to be met um and not putting that expectation on the people that you're serving.

43:25.60
nathanpile
No.

43:25.86
Kevin Shock
That's not an easy thing to do that's maybe it's an impossible thing to do but um, but I think that there is um well isn't it Philippians where um, Paul talks about. Um, no, it's not I don't know I'm I'm getting off track here. But anyway I just think this is ah this is a reading that is full of things that seem impossible and they're not impossible because Jesus has accomplished them. And Jesus accomplishes them for us for us and so we're we're able to be coworkers in that same work. Yeah.

44:10.38
nathanpile
Well and and and when we feel like we don't match up again. God being who god is through Jesus's um act forgiveness is there like god knows that well god knows that.

44:22.79
Kevin Shock
You.

44:28.17
nathanpile
We have the the tiny baby inside us crying selfishly for for attention and focus and the things that we want um but it is ah it you know it's It's about adopting an attitude. It's about, um.

44:31.83
Kevin Shock
E.

44:46.41
nathanpile
Um, you know, focusing on the other and and not focusing only on my wants. Um, and so God knows that we also are able to to do that? um.

44:54.85
Kevin Shock
The.

45:04.30
nathanpile
Um, so.

45:05.14
Kevin Shock
Yeah, yeah, I am I looked ahead here. Um, because I I knew I was thinking of I I was not thinking of the right words off the top of my head but I knew I was thinking of something from Philippians 4 and that is um, that verse that gets. Quoted out of context all the time I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me ah or as it says in the c e I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength um, and. And we quote that out of human beings quote that out of context to say like I can do anything I put my mind to but but what when you read this in context. It's really about attitude. Um, it's ah you know Paul I'll just read it quickly. Um.

45:39.73
nathanpile
Right.

45:54.27
Kevin Shock
Paul says in Philippians 4 starting with verse eleven I'm not saying this because I need anything for I have learned how to be content in any circumstance I know the experience of being in need and of having more than enough I have learned the secret to being content in any in every circumstance. Whether fool or hungry whether having plenty or being poor I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength this isn't not. That's not a verse about accomplishing things. It's a verse about maintaining proper attitude in whatever is happening and so so. Strength here is about um, it's about when when I'm when I am tempted to exhaust myself or exploit other people Christ gives me the strength to instead empty myself for the good of all.

46:52.60
Kevin Shock
Yeah, that's what that's about.

46:55.24
nathanpile
Well and even listening to you read it like I also want our listener to to recognize that that um after Paul wrote this the next week happened and Paul you know, failed miserably at i.

47:06.30
Kevin Shock
Yeah, right, right? right.

47:11.14
nathanpile
Like don't don't read this and feel like Paul's got this all figured out. Well Paul had it figured out and wrote it down that one day it's like it's like when we have a good epiphany you write it down but it doesn't mean that he's that he has actually accomplished all of these things. Um, he too is living. Um.

47:15.76
Kevin Shock
Not yeah yeah.

47:25.40
Kevin Shock
Right.

47:30.23
nathanpile
As ah as a human being in the way of Jesus which means he's going to be imperfect at it.

47:32.80
Kevin Shock
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and and in fact, that's what makes the Philippians is one of my favorites if not my favorite book of the bible and the thing that I love about it is that you can hear not only in his words, but but in the tone of the letter. Paul's struggle in all of these things. But I mean this is Paul saying you know what you and I say all the time Nathan the formula is simple but living it out is near impossible for human beings. Yeah, and and you hear that over and over and over again in Philippines. It's ah it's a short book. But it's yeah, it's full of that struggle and it's a good struggle. It's a faithful struggle but you're exactly right? that? Yeah, the next week Paul was probably you know? Yeah, he very well could have been whining about something and not being a very helpful friendt.

48:29.28
Kevin Shock
Ah, ah, ah, ah.

48:31.40
nathanpile
But Kevin and I have good sermons and then the next you know the next day or maybe that afternoon it all falls apart. So so it's it's ah it's just it's again recognizing being humble enough to see this is how we live our lives.

48:36.30
Kevin Shock
Oh oh man.

48:48.63
Kevin Shock
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and and being and having at least some measure of humility that when we mess it up. We own up to it now.

48:50.71
nathanpile
Um.

49:06.28
nathanpile
Um, well some additional texts here this week mark eleven so the gospel of Mark the eleventh chapter verses 1 through 11 Jesus Enters Jerusalem this is these are additional texts that. Match palm Sunday's readings so that will be coming up here the Sunday head and so some some congregations will use this reading at the very beginning of their service or the John 12 verses 12 to 16 also Jesus entering Jerusalem. Um, oftentimes with the procession of the palms um, and and the cloaks. Um as a part of their service other readings isaiah 50 verses 4 through nine a the beginning part of verse 9.

49:45.19
Kevin Shock
Um.

50:01.41
nathanpile
Servant of the lord submits to suffering psalm 31 verses 9 to 16 into your hands o lord I commend my spirit and and Mark the fourteenth chapter. Ah, verse 1 through the fifteenth chapter verse 47 which is Mark's passion account um of of Jesus so the last days of Jesus is um, life among us. Um, well. For his resurrection at least. So ah, but we have we hear that that full passion account for Mark versus 141 through 1547? Well Kevin thank you for ah your reflections and um and helping to. Ah, here are for us to hear that message of god's Jesus' ' humble way that leads us to putting aside our selfish wants so that we might we might adopt ah an attitude that gets us thinking about more than ourselves.

51:17.37
Kevin Shock
Yeah, and thanks for struggling alongside me Nathan to help figure it out. Yeah.

51:22.58
nathanpile
No yeah, yeah, always fun conversation. We hope. Ah, if you have some thoughts or reflections feel free to share those with us on our social mediater email Kevin gave him to you earlier and you'll hear him in the outro headed out. So. We hope to tend our faith again with you soon. Grace to you.

51:41.63
Kevin Shock
And peace.