Episode 38: Luke 10:25-37

Translation: New English Translation (NET Bible)

3 Questions:

What word, phrase or image strikes you in this text?

Toward what is God calling you in this text?

How could you be a good neighbor?

Additional texts:

Deuteronomy 30:9-14

Psalm 25:1-10

Colossians 1:1-14

Amos 7:7-17

Psalm 82

Transcript

00:02.53
Kevin Shock
Nathan and I are sitting in, um, in enclosed areas to escape the heat.

00:11.93
Kevin Shock
It's currently the heat index at my, my outside thermometer at my house is currently 107.9. And I just saw that the fire department offered to open up their meeting space so that people could come in who don't have air conditioning. So anyway, I hope where you are,

00:32.76
Kevin Shock
First of all, I hope that that it's not weather like this anymore when you're listening to this. Second of all, I hope you're in a comfortable place.

00:40.57
Kevin Shock
um and ah And I'm looking forward to sitting very still and talking with Nathan for a little while about scripture.

00:49.49
Nathan Pile
I have a great fear that we'll be sweating while we talk.

00:50.09
Kevin Shock
So that's what...

00:53.57
Nathan Pile
That's my great fear.

00:53.78
Kevin Shock
we We might be sweating while we talk. um it's ah Inside is much cooler than outside right now, but...

00:59.15
Nathan Pile
it it It is. It is. um and

01:06.37
Nathan Pile
Recently we completed the Tend Festival, hum which was fun.

01:11.78
Kevin Shock
Yes.

01:12.06
Nathan Pile
But I do have to make a shout out to Ben who called Kevin and I fine gentlemen. So we probably need to make that change in the um in the in the background information, fine gentlemen.

01:23.42
Kevin Shock
In our background information. Hmm.

01:26.29
Nathan Pile
that that is I told him he probably didn't know us well enough.

01:28.04
Kevin Shock
Hmm.

01:31.45
Nathan Pile
if he's giving you and I that description. Um, so, uh, uh, but he insisted that we were fine gentlemen.

01:34.62
Kevin Shock
Hmm. Hmm

01:38.33
Nathan Pile
Um, uh, he didn't say young. I did notice that.

01:42.41
Kevin Shock
No, he didn't say young.

01:42.49
Nathan Pile
Um, he didn't say young.

01:43.33
Kevin Shock
No, that's, that's okay.

01:43.99
Nathan Pile
So, uh, but, uh, but I do, uh, celebrate that and that we are, um at least, um,

01:44.80
Kevin Shock
That's all right.

01:57.25
Nathan Pile
At least at this moment, someone recognizes us as fine gentlemen.

01:58.88
Kevin Shock
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. At the, uh, the Tend festival, I, I also experienced a little celebrity moment, uh, in Bower socks. Uh, I encountered Janice.

02:11.12
Nathan Pile
Oh, yes.

02:11.43
Kevin Shock
And when I introduced myself, ah she said, oh, I listened to the podcast.

02:11.97
Nathan Pile
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

02:16.87
Kevin Shock
So I felt like a minor celebrity in that moment. Thank you, Janice. ah

02:21.25
Nathan Pile
Yeah, that is nice. Yeah.

02:22.57
Kevin Shock
but

02:23.56
Nathan Pile
Jan, it's all the way from Texas.

02:25.31
Kevin Shock
All the way from Texas. Yeah, joining us at the Tend Festival.

02:26.72
Nathan Pile
Yeah. Yeah.

02:29.07
Kevin Shock
and I And now I know that we also have other people in Texas who listen to us. So that's great. All right. um So Nathan and I are going to talk about some things today.

02:40.43
Kevin Shock
We're going to look at Luke chapter 10 verses 25 through 37, looking at the New English translation, the Net Bible. You can always find that on BibleGateway.com or the Bible Gateway app.

02:53.31
Kevin Shock
Our three questions today. What word, phrase, or image strikes you in this text? Toward what is God calling you in this text? And how could you be a good neighbor?

03:07.12
Kevin Shock
I bet you're guessing which gospel reading we're looking at by that last question.

03:16.04
Nathan Pile
Some information about your hosts. We are fine gentlemen, married to women in financially stable households, white firmly in middle age, college and seminary educated.

03:21.39
Kevin Shock
Hmm.

03:28.39
Nathan Pile
We work in the Lutheran Church and we're born and raised in Western Pennsylvania. All of 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. And probably just as a disclaimer for today, it's also really, really hot.

03:45.33
Nathan Pile
So that's a disclaimer. If we get grumpy at some point in the S hour.

03:50.36
Kevin Shock
Oh no.

03:50.76
Nathan Pile
ah

03:51.24
Kevin Shock
I hope I don't get grumpy.

03:54.26
Nathan Pile
ah We believe that the wisdom of scripture is the whole community's compiled interpretation for life with God and one another. So we want to know what you hear and think from your life experience as you engage scripture.

04:08.65
Nathan Pile
Luke, the 10th chapter. Now, an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus, saying, Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

04:22.78
Nathan Pile
He said to him, What is written in the law? How do you understand it? The expert answered, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.

04:36.69
Nathan Pile
Jesus said to him, You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live. But the expert, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor?

04:48.70
Nathan Pile
Jesus replied. A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers who stripped him, beat him up and went off, leaving him half dead.

05:02.28
Nathan Pile
Now, by chance, a priest was going down the road. But when he saw the injured man, he passed by on the other side. So to a Levite, when he came up to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

05:16.82
Nathan Pile
But a Samaritan who was traveling came to where the injured man was, and when he saw him, he felt compassion for him. He went up to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring olive oil and wine on them.

05:29.33
Nathan Pile
Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day, he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper saying, take care of him and whatever else you spend, I will repay you when I come back this way.

05:51.11
Nathan Pile
Which of these three do you think became a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers? the experts and The expert in religious law said, the one who showed mercy to him.

06:06.67
Nathan Pile
So Jesus said to him, go and do the same.

06:12.23
Nathan Pile
If you're meeting with a group, you can pause the podcast now and engage the questions on your own. Or, as Kevin shares, um we can listen together. What word, phrase, or image strikes you in this text, Kevin?

06:30.18
Kevin Shock
Right, right from the beginning. ah What must I do to inherit eternal life?

06:37.28
Nathan Pile
Hmm.

06:38.60
Kevin Shock
I do. um There are, I mean, yeah, there are actually other things that I thought I was going to answer, but then it took me, I I barely even heard the rest of the reading as you're reading it because of that.

06:54.52
Kevin Shock
um There are so many things in that. those simple words that as to unpack them makes me think that there's a lot of problem with the experts question.

07:10.53
Kevin Shock
One, what must I do to inherit eternal life? God is the giver of eternal life. I mean, you know, that's, that's, first of all, it's like asking ah dear grandfather, what must I do to inherit your estate when you die?

07:28.60
Kevin Shock
the it's not up to the one who's the recipient and and this is much the same I mean I like that that Jesus or well no that that that Luke I mean the expert I guess but but Luke uses the phrase inherit here uh that's something that's out of the expert's control uh the one who does when it comes to eternal life is god

07:54.55
Kevin Shock
The other thing is that there is, um he says, what must I do? And then Jesus tells him a whole story about how it's important to focus on the we and not the I A story about how to interact with someone, with other people in a neighborly fashion, ah that that the community is the key to eternal life.

08:23.88
Kevin Shock
Um, and even the expert, uh, when he quotes the law, Deuteronomy six, and then, love your neighbor as yourself is another part of Deuteronomy. And I can't remember exactly where it is. It's in the twenties somewhere. Oh no. Leviticus 19:18.

08:45.82
Nathan Pile
Yeah, was going to say that's what we

08:46.43
Kevin Shock
um Yeah, ah because we're using the Net Bible, we have all these great footnotes that we can find these things.

08:51.46
Nathan Pile
did. Lots of footnotes in this one.

08:53.13
Kevin Shock
Yeah.

08:53.74
Nathan Pile
Yeah, lots of footnotes.

08:54.45
Kevin Shock
um That at least the the love of the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind. I'm I'm assuming, and I don't know Hebrew well enough. I looked at it a little bit while you were reading there.

09:09.10
Kevin Shock
but um But the you there is a plural you. You all, because this this is quoted from um Deuteronomy 6, and in Deuteronomy 6, God is speaking to the whole of Israel, not to an individual, but to the whole nation.

09:25.47
Nathan Pile
Hmm. Hmm.

09:27.23
Kevin Shock
um So again, there's not, the the I do, what must I do betrays a misunderstanding of what God is getting at with both the law and The gospel, I mean, I yeah.

09:45.06
Kevin Shock
The gospel in the sense that the expert is talking to Jesus in flesh and blood.

09:51.96
Kevin Shock
Although Jesus also, being God, is an expert in religious law.

09:56.82
Nathan Pile
Yeah.

09:58.05
Kevin Shock
He he he wrote it.

09:58.32
Nathan Pile
Yeah. Yeah.

09:59.89
Kevin Shock
his His father wrote it.

10:00.16
Nathan Pile
No. ah yeah

10:01.80
Kevin Shock
ah Yeah. it's It's ingrained in him. So. Um, yeah, that's what I just, I think of the, all of the inherit issues with what must I do to inherit.

10:20.36
Nathan Pile
Yeah

10:21.14
Kevin Shock
What about you? What word phrase or image?

10:23.40
Nathan Pile
Well, mine doesn't fall far from you. It's just in the next paragraph, but it's the it's the the religious law expert justifying himself.

10:35.47
Nathan Pile
um

10:35.54
Kevin Shock
Hmm. Mm-hmm.

10:36.25
Nathan Pile
So here we say wanting to justify himself, but essentially like he's trying to make sure that what he thinks is free and clear.

10:50.45
Nathan Pile
like, like that he's free and clear of any obligation to God, because, because, you know, if I've answered that this is what the law is, that I'm just making sure.

10:50.62
Kevin Shock
Mm-hmm.

11:00.97
Nathan Pile
so he's just trying to, just trying to make sure, well, I'm, I'm obvious I'm in, you know, I've obviously taking care of what needs to happen. I know what the law is. And, and as long as I'm doing these things here.

11:13.97
Nathan Pile
And so his clarification is, um here of who, who is the neighbor. But the, the thing that struck me was this idea of that he has to justify himself.

11:25.82
Nathan Pile
He's seeking some kind of authority to allow him to do what he does. Um,

11:38.26
Nathan Pile
And so like this reminds me, like I'm I'm I know I do this as an adult myself in ways, trying to ah vindicate or justify myself.

11:49.23
Nathan Pile
um But it makes me think about like as a kid, when I would try to get somebody in authority to give me the okay to do what it was I wanted to do.

12:02.66
Nathan Pile
even though I knew I was trying to skirt what the right thing was, if that makes sense. um so um So this piece here of the the legal expert just trying to again, get his own way. You know, you use the the ah he uses I do, do I must I do um It's the same piece here. There's still that that selfish human is...

12:30.85
Nathan Pile
who is um seeking Jesus's stamp of approval for his interpretation of what the gospel is.

12:44.00
Nathan Pile
um

12:44.34
Kevin Shock
Mm-hmm.

12:45.89
Nathan Pile
And

12:49.67
Nathan Pile
and probably not the gospel in this particular sense. It would be the ah law because it is a

12:58.02
Nathan Pile
Jewish religious scholar that is asking Jesus. Um, but it's, it's that same idea. So and not that there's not good news in the, um, first Testament, old Testament. It's just trying to, the answers were in the law in the old Testament, the first Testament. So, um, here he, here, the expert is trying to, make sure that he's, um, that his interpretation is the right one.

13:27.17
Nathan Pile
Um, And so he's trying to limit his own responsibility. Like, who do I really have to be nice to, Jesus?

13:37.05
Kevin Shock
Yeah, right, right.

13:37.30
Nathan Pile
Like, that's not what the question is, but that's really what he's asking. Like, you know, like that's, those aren't the words here of this translation, but, you know, if Nathan Pyle were to write his own translation, which I'm not going to do,

13:40.06
Kevin Shock
No, that is really what he's asking. Yeah, yeah.

13:50.60
Kevin Shock
OK.

13:51.73
Nathan Pile
ah it would be that, can you know, would be that kind of a statement of of who do I really have to be? who do have to really love and care for? and um

14:06.67
Nathan Pile
So trying to limit that because because if he can get the if he can get Jesus to to tell him, you know what that is, then then and and that his interpretation is correct, then it's fewer people than what others might be proclaiming or making requiring him to do or whatever that is. So.

14:29.54
Nathan Pile
So.

14:31.08
Kevin Shock
Yeah, in in hearing you say that, um it really plays up the idea for me that Jesus sets this expert ah back on his heels.

14:43.15
Kevin Shock
um

14:43.36
Nathan Pile
Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

14:45.03
Kevin Shock
that the Because at the beginning, it all starts with ah the expert is lobbing a difficult question in Jesus' direction in order to test him.

14:59.47
Kevin Shock
And ah it it's not about the teacher is not interested in a in a real answer because he's just I mean, he he's not interested in in a real answer for himself because he's just looking to catch Jesus and some false teaching about the law so that he can call him out.

15:15.02
Nathan Pile
Hmm. Hmm.

15:17.35
Kevin Shock
And then when Jesus responds with that question, he he he requires the expert to

15:27.76
Kevin Shock
be in the answering position and then Jesus, Jesus commends him for his correct answer. But then he realized that his correct answer puts him and in a place where he is ah revealing his own lack of righteousness.

15:45.69
Kevin Shock
And so and so then he falls back to to where you are that he he he now now the expert, instead of wanting to test test Jesus, he's wanting to justify his own actions himself.

15:57.22
Nathan Pile
himself, yeah.

15:58.70
Kevin Shock
Yeah.

15:58.76
Nathan Pile
yeah

15:59.65
Kevin Shock
And so that's it's a it's a pretty crafty thing that Jesus does there by asking that question in response to the question that the expert asks so that the expert becomes the one on the on the defense.

16:15.08
Nathan Pile
Right.

16:15.59
Kevin Shock
Yeah.

16:20.13
Nathan Pile
Yeah. Again, this feels very human to me. Um, like I said, like, you know, I would do, there's things here that the expert of the law is doing that I'm sure in my own lifetime I've done wanting to be right, wanting to, um,

16:43.22
Nathan Pile
to prove that I'm smarter than someone else. And then realizing that I've gotten myself into a, uh, a mess and trying to get out of it.

16:53.73
Nathan Pile
Um,

16:56.39
Nathan Pile
ah You know just the expert of the law here feels feels pretty human to me

17:07.50
Kevin Shock
Well, boy, yeah, that makes a that that makes me nervous because then it makes me wonder... if the expert of the law is acting like a normal human being here, how often do we as normal human beings, uh, unintentionally end up wanting to test Jesus

17:22.19
Nathan Pile
I'd like the expert

17:28.52
Kevin Shock
or, or testing Jesus, uh, because we want to justify ourselves.

17:31.03
Nathan Pile
Yeah?

17:35.89
Kevin Shock
Well, that's a, that's probably a rabbit hole to go down in a different time, but,

17:41.46
Nathan Pile
But I think it's a great question. I do think that that that in itself could be an hour long podcast. but But I do think, how do we ask ourselves that question?

17:49.87
Kevin Shock
Yeah, probably.

17:54.73
Nathan Pile
Or do we ask ourselves that question?

17:57.18
Kevin Shock
Mm-hmm.

17:57.39
Nathan Pile
As we journey as we are on our own journey.

17:58.08
Kevin Shock
Mm-hmm.

18:01.11
Nathan Pile
um You know, one of the one of the things we did this weekend, or that I did this weekend was that went to a session on the labyrinth and we were we prayed the labyrinth.

18:14.23
Nathan Pile
And what what a kind of a question that would be to walk a labyrinth and ask myself of

18:20.62
Kevin Shock
Mm-hmm.

18:22.43
Nathan Pile
of in what ways am I trying to to trip up Jesus

18:34.83
Nathan Pile
and my own in my own spiritual life. like

18:37.97
Kevin Shock
Mm-hmm.

18:38.67
Nathan Pile
no And to kind of hear that and and again, recognize that God loves and forgives us. And so there's there's grace in this. But sometimes we just have to be honest with ourself of,

18:52.23
Nathan Pile
What are ways that I'm doing this?

18:56.36
Kevin Shock
Yeah.

18:56.48
Nathan Pile
So

18:57.04
Kevin Shock
Yeah. Yep. and Okay. Second time through.

19:02.42
Nathan Pile
second time through.

19:04.75
Kevin Shock
From Luke chapter 10. Now an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus saying, teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? He said to him, what is written in the law?

19:15.54
Kevin Shock
How do you understand it? The expert answered, love the Lord, your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.

19:26.72
Kevin Shock
Jesus said to him, You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live. But the expert, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor? Jesus replied, a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him up, and went off, leaving him half dead.

19:47.82
Kevin Shock
Now by chance a priest was going down that road, but when he saw the injured man he passed by on the other side. So to a Levite, when he came up to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

20:00.05
Kevin Shock
But a Samaritan who was traveling came to where the injured man was, and when he saw him, he felt compassion for him. He went up to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring olive oil and wine on them.

20:12.24
Kevin Shock
Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper saying, take care of him and whatever else you spend, I will repay you when I come back this way.

20:27.99
Kevin Shock
Which of these three do you think became a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers? The expert in religious law said, the one who showed mercy to him. So Jesus said to him, go and do the same.

20:42.42
Kevin Shock
Nathan, toward what is God calling you in this text?

20:47.24
Nathan Pile
um I was, I had one answer and then you read here right at the end that word mercy. um And that would be answer to...

20:58.22
Nathan Pile
that would be the simple answer two to what I, um, would say, um, that we should live in mercy, um, for one another.

21:11.69
Nathan Pile
And, and again, it's not a word we use very often or I use very often. It's not a word I use very often that, uh, yeah, I don't like if I'm preaching a sermon, I might, but like when I talk to campers or I talk to young adults or, um,

21:19.30
Kevin Shock
Mercy isn't? Mm-hmm.

21:32.78
Nathan Pile
I don't usually use the word mercy. Empathy, compassion, love. I use all of those. um

21:41.19
Kevin Shock
Hmm

21:42.13
Nathan Pile
But there's something about mercy. um

21:53.62
Nathan Pile
There's something about mercy that's just...

21:58.90
Nathan Pile
I don't want to say it's more than empathy and it's more than love because those are holy things too. But for some reason it feels, maybe because I don't use it enough, um but mercy feels as if I'm making a decision that I could justify not doing,

22:23.08
Nathan Pile
but I'm going to do it.

22:25.35
Kevin Shock
Mm

22:27.72
Nathan Pile
if that is so so there's So there's like empathy and compassion and love are all things that I feel like we're called towards all of the time. and And in mercy, I think empathy, compassion, and love is there.

22:43.77
Nathan Pile
But something about mercy in my own head, way I define mercy, feels like that I don't want to say that I'm that that that I'm in power or I'm in control because that also is pretty false in life but but what I would be justified to not do something but but ah in showing mercy i've decided to to care for um in this example obviously being the person the traveler who has has gotten hurt um

23:21.42
Nathan Pile
but like the, the part of mercy. And so like, it causes me to think, well, am I not merciful in my life? no I I try to, to err on the side of mercy. and just don't talk about it or name it in those ways.

23:35.51
Nathan Pile
Um, because the only person I truly have any control over is Nathan. And so when Nathan is empathetic,

23:46.78
Nathan Pile
I could be being merciful. Um,

23:51.92
Nathan Pile
And so so that there's there's that, piece but again, it's not something, because then it also feels a little bit like I'm taking credit for being merciful or you know that I'm taking credit for empathy and in and that.

24:04.94
Nathan Pile
and And I don't, it's what I'm called to do. It's what I'm called to respond as. But there was something when you said that word mercy, because I was thinking about, well, it's all about how we live life.

24:15.91
Nathan Pile
You know, I feel called to live life and to love God and love my neighbor. But that was going to be my response until you hit the word mercy. And I thought, oh, that feels more what I feel like I'm called to in this passage, because it's because I'm taking some action.

24:35.30
Nathan Pile
because of who God is and how God has called me to live my life um and has, and has, you know, empowered me and you know, given me resources, given me gifts and talents that I could then use for others. And so in doing so,

24:57.42
Nathan Pile
I can either apply those gifts and resources that God has um gifted me with, or I can choose not to. And and mercy feels like I'm called to to do it. So it's not just like I'm choosing, not just like that there's an a choice or an option there, but, but that I'm being called into that um as a part of life. So as a part of who I am as God's child.

25:22.52
Nathan Pile
And so, um, Yeah, ah like that would be my, that's my, the short word is mercy. And then the long word, the long answer is everything else I've said after that. um

25:38.67
Nathan Pile
What about you, my friend, toward what is God calling you in this text?

25:41.40
Kevin Shock
Well, I don't know exactly how to say it, but I think that um

25:49.06
Kevin Shock
um maybe maybe maybe to say tend to those in need. I, the The section of this reading that's bringing that to mind is that the... um the priest and the Levite passed by the injured man on the other side.

26:06.15
Nathan Pile
Mm-hmm.

26:07.08
Kevin Shock
And I think for myself, you know, we can come up with all kinds of reasons why the Levite and the priest passed by on the other side of the road. ah You know, I've heard lots of commentaries and sermons and people talking in conversation about, well, the, the,

26:26.80
Kevin Shock
the Oh, my brain just drew a blank. The the the religious men, they um they know that if there's if there's blood and pus and all the other stuff that comes with injury, ah that the man is unclean.

26:43.89
Kevin Shock
or Or if they touch the man, they'll become unclean. And um

26:52.08
Kevin Shock
the Samaritan doesn't seem to care about that. But I think the reality is... I, I don't even think they have to care about whether the man's unclean.

27:03.04
Kevin Shock
I don't think that they need to be justified in the decision that they make. they They probably... Yeah, um

27:15.95
Kevin Shock
yeah no, that's what I want to say. I think if if their reason for passing by the man on the other side of the road is caught is just because he's unclean and you know the priest has to remain clean to go and do his duties in the temple...

27:28.87
Kevin Shock
Um, I, I think that gets him off the hook too easily. I don't think it really gets him off the hook, but I think it, it comes too close to getting him off the hook. and The reality is, um they could easily just be saying, Oh, I don't want to deal with it.

27:43.53
Kevin Shock
I don't have time. ah he like, it would, it would, it would break up my entire day. I'd be late to where I'm going. I mean, all, all kinds of things.

27:53.78
Kevin Shock
Right.

27:54.10
Nathan Pile
Sure, sure.

27:54.30
Kevin Shock
I, and, and I think about, um, I think about how easy it ah is for us, for me to notice someone in need or a situation that needs tending to and to just put my head down and keep going about my business.

28:20.32
Kevin Shock
um um I I don't think I want to confess that I do that very often. but I probably do it more than God would like me to do it.

28:33.89
Kevin Shock
And, you know, okay. So I can't think of any situation immediately before me. I think as I've gotten older, that is something that I have become more aware of that it's worthwhile to stop and help someone and

28:59.18
Kevin Shock
ah You know, like it.

29:03.90
Kevin Shock
It's always better to do that, no matter how great the need is. um I guess I think of it I think of one situation where I actually did the right thing.

29:15.64
Kevin Shock
um And that is we we have a neighbor that. ah She's she's a very nice woman, but we also have some. there's some tension that exists between us because of interactions that our dogs have had in the past. And we we have, we have a different, uh, standard of care when it comes to handling dogs and things like that.

29:39.60
Kevin Shock
And, uh, sometimes her dog gets out and runs around a little bit and it, it understandably frustrates her and and gets her, you know, I mean, well, it frustrates her like it would any of us.

29:51.34
Kevin Shock
Um, and, uh,

29:52.22
Nathan Pile
Sure.

29:54.67
Kevin Shock
There was one time that it happened where I was aware that it happened because I had heard her outside calling for her dog. And so I made sure my dogs were secure inside and I grabbed a leash and then I went out to help look for the dog.

30:10.55
Kevin Shock
And by the time I got to her, she already had the dog by the collar and was, was talking to someone and getting ready to head back home. But I had a leash, so I walked over and I hooked up the dog and She was walking the dog and the dog was being a little problematic because it was all worked up.

30:28.94
Kevin Shock
And so I kind of took over the leash and, and showed her, you know, here's how you can get your dog to walk. Um, w w w without getting all, you know, without getting all worked up or like when it's getting worked up this is how you can correct it in a gentle way.

30:45.31
Kevin Shock
And, um, you know, that, I guess I could have taken two ways with that. I could have just, you know, stayed in my house and rolled my eyes and thought, oh, here we go again.

30:57.42
Kevin Shock
Or I could have done what I did and get out and help her. And I think the more that I do that, the more that it breaks the tension that's between us.

31:01.39
Nathan Pile
Yeah.

31:09.17
Kevin Shock
And she sees me as an ally and a friend instead of someone who...

31:09.36
Nathan Pile
Hmm.

31:15.53
Nathan Pile
She thinks might be judging her.

31:15.68
Kevin Shock
thinks ill of her or yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly.

31:17.13
Nathan Pile
Well, right, that she thinks is nudging.

31:19.33
Kevin Shock
Yeah. Thanks as judging her. Yeah. And, um, and I think it would be good for me to do that with everyone in my life or, or every person that I come across.

31:33.89
Kevin Shock
Um,

31:36.78
Kevin Shock
it's easy to get, um, just to get bogged down in, this is what I have, you know, this, like, this is my schedule for today. This is my to-do list. This is what I'm working on.

31:48.50
Kevin Shock
I'm not going to let anything interrupt me. And, um,

31:55.72
Kevin Shock
sometimes I should let the interruption happen and, and do the thing that, um,

32:06.33
Kevin Shock
that gives life and that um brings an awareness of God to each of us, both me who might be helping and the person who's being helped.

32:23.00
Kevin Shock
Yeah. Yeah. I, yeah. I just think I ah think how easy it is to put ourselves in the place of the priest and the Levite.

32:34.65
Kevin Shock
or to live up to their example, I guess is what I mean.

32:40.34
Nathan Pile
Well, and it does feel about myself that it's easier to judge than it is to offer help right now as a part of the world and society, culture, whatever.

32:55.74
Nathan Pile
As being a human being living in 2025, it seems like it's easier to kind of

33:04.88
Nathan Pile
make the judgment and walk by on the other side. than going to all of the hassle that it would take to make ourselves vulnerable. Essentially, that's part of what you're you've done in your story, right? you Like you made yourself vulnerable, walked outside.

33:22.53
Nathan Pile
Because she could say, I don't want your help, you crazy lunatic. um Like, leave me alone. Leave me and my dog alone. um So there's a part of this for us that

33:38.13
Nathan Pile
Like, how do we not that the, this, the traveler is, has been beaten up. And so they're not going to chastise the Samaritan of, you know, don't do this thing. Don't help me out.

33:51.78
Nathan Pile
But I do think in our, in our world today, it's easier to judge. And maybe it's always been this way. Maybe it's always been this way. It just doesn't feel like it's been this hard.

34:03.40
Nathan Pile
You know, in my first third, you know first third of my life um or first half of my life, it doesn't seem like it was quite this hard.

34:15.21
Nathan Pile
If I'm going to help someone like now, it just feels really easy that I could make a judgment and be like, yeah, and walk on by.

34:24.67
Nathan Pile
Maybe I'm just getting old.

34:29.67
Kevin Shock
Yeah, I don't know. there's a I feel like you and I have that... um You and I have this conversation a lot, Nathan, and I don't think we ever come to any conclusions, but um the...

34:45.25
Kevin Shock
what What makes the world different now?

34:48.47
Nathan Pile
Right.

34:48.61
Kevin Shock
ah

34:48.63
Nathan Pile
Yeah. Yeah.

34:49.08
Kevin Shock
and Because I I I think that you and I aren't the only ones feeling this.

34:53.39
Nathan Pile
man

34:53.64
Kevin Shock
um and And I'm sure there's a lot at play, but I i want to... i feel a need to diagnose the problem so that we can start working on it and it just seems like there's a lot of anxiety and pressure and uh yeah and and people are people are people are stressed out i feel like maybe not overall but or or maybe it's

35:26.38
Kevin Shock
Honestly, maybe it's just the people I come in contact with that are stressed.

35:32.01
Kevin Shock
Uh, I don't think that that's entirely the case, but any who, that's a different conversation for a different time.

35:35.57
Nathan Pile
No.

35:39.92
Nathan Pile
Yeah.

35:42.24
Nathan Pile
All right, let's do it a third time.

35:47.42
Kevin Shock
Okay.

35:49.07
Nathan Pile
Now an e- expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus, saying, Teacher, what must I do to inherit a eternal to life? He said to him, What is written in the law?

36:00.90
Nathan Pile
How do you understand it? The expert answered, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself.

36:13.12
Nathan Pile
Jesus said to him, You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.

36:19.46
Nathan Pile
But the expert, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor? Jesus replied, A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho.

36:31.20
Nathan Pile
fell into the hands of robbers who stripped him, beat him up, and went off, leaving him half dead. Now by chance, a priest was going down the road.

36:44.02
Nathan Pile
But when he saw the injured man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came up to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

36:57.25
Nathan Pile
But a Samaritan who was traveling came to where the injured man was, and when he saw him, he felt compassion for him. He went up to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring olive oil and wine on them.

37:09.12
Nathan Pile
Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, Take care of him, and whatever else you spend, I will repay you when I come back this way.

37:25.11
Nathan Pile
Which of these three do you think became a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers? The expert in the religious law said, the one who showed mercy to him. So Jesus said to him, go and do the same.

37:44.42
Nathan Pile
How could you be a good neighbor, Kevin?

37:51.41
Kevin Shock
Um, I maybe I already answered it in the second question um But I but I will say for this question that's

37:56.37
Nathan Pile
Right.

38:05.81
Kevin Shock
The other thing I like about this reading is that um Jesus puts he puts the the expert in the law on his heels again um by asking that question Well, no, I'm sorry.

38:20.92
Kevin Shock
Yeah. By, by responding with a question to a question, uh, or with a parable and then a question, um, you know, who, who is my neighbor?

38:24.44
Nathan Pile
Right.

38:32.85
Kevin Shock
And then Jesus turns it around into

38:38.24
Kevin Shock
how are you a neighbor? I guess.

38:41.36
Nathan Pile
yeah

38:41.45
Kevin Shock
is, is that's the teaching moment. So I think, yeah, I think what I said before, tending to people who are in need, not overlooking them, not passing by them. Um, and I think in a, on a very basic sense, I I will say that for me, it's easy for me to, ah when I, when I need to leave the house to go do something,

39:08.09
Kevin Shock
I walk out my door, get in my car. When I come home, I get back in my, ah get back into the house. I stay in the house. um And I think there's, there are a lot of people in my neighborhood who do that.

39:21.38
Kevin Shock
There aren't a lot of people who just hang out outside. um

39:24.00
Nathan Pile
Hmm.

39:25.31
Kevin Shock
And I live in a neighborhood where there, I mean, we're, we're houses close to each other. ah One thing Lisa and I did recently was we, she found some, some nice, um,

39:40.54
Kevin Shock
rocking chairs on, I mean, when I say nice, sturdy, ah not elegant, ah rocking chairs on clearance. And ah so we bought them and I put them together and I had an old kind of bistro table that we had out in the shed that I brought out to the front porch because we spent a lot of time in the backyard where we don't really see a lot of neighbors.

40:02.23
Kevin Shock
um But now we have a comfortable place to sit out on the front porch. And um I think that

40:07.23
Nathan Pile
Hmm.

40:11.23
Kevin Shock
spending more time out there will help me to interact and take notice of the people in my neighborhood a lot more than what I currently do.

40:21.95
Nathan Pile
Hmm.

40:25.22
Nathan Pile
So simply finding a space and making it a hospitable to you and your wife to sit there will help you be a better neighbor.

40:25.36
Kevin Shock
And I think,

40:35.21
Kevin Shock
yeah, yeah, yeah.

40:35.47
Nathan Pile
Yeah. Yeah.

40:36.38
Kevin Shock
And then, and then sitting there, And, and interacting with the people I do see walking by or see coming out of their house or things like that.

40:38.59
Nathan Pile
Right.

40:45.90
Kevin Shock
Um, yeah. And also I have the, um, now because the Lisa and I have switched parking spots because I have the car that I can plug in. I'm out near the shed so I can plug in when I come home.

40:59.98
Kevin Shock
And, uh, so I, yeah, so I park in the space out back. So even when I'm getting in and out of my car, I don't see neighbors out front.

41:07.16
Nathan Pile
you're not out front anymore.

41:08.30
Kevin Shock
Yeah.

41:08.56
Nathan Pile
Yeah.

41:08.83
Kevin Shock
Yeah. um Which, which makes it harder. And we do spend a lot of time walking our dogs around town, but when we're doing that, we're focused on our dogs. We're not, but we don't, we don't do a lot of like a time stopping and chatting with people when we're walking our dogs for, for a variety of reasons, but yeah.

41:19.53
Nathan Pile
Sure.

41:24.62
Nathan Pile
Chatting and visiting and sure. Sure.

41:29.32
Nathan Pile
Yeah.

41:30.30
Kevin Shock
So yeah, I think, I think but having, having that space and putting myself in that space where I can be open to my neighbors and, uh, and who they are and what they're doing, that will be a way for me to be a better neighbor to them.

41:48.14
Nathan Pile
Well, the thing I like about what you've shared is is that that you've put some thought into

41:56.06
Nathan Pile
creating a space where that interaction can happen.

42:01.81
Kevin Shock
Mm-hmm.

42:02.59
Nathan Pile
You know, and so it seems a little silly, I guess, maybe, but but like, how can we, as God's people,

42:11.55
Nathan Pile
convert the spaces that we are already in or already have access to? into more hospitable places where you could engage, where you could be a better neighbor.

42:24.28
Nathan Pile
And one of the things I've heard you for not just today, but at other times talking about how do you how do you engage your neighbor? Well, being on the front porch would be one of those ways that would, not that you're gonna sit out there and be out there every day all the time and become the crotchety old man on the front porch in his rocking chair.

42:44.67
Nathan Pile
You know, everybody goes,

42:45.98
Kevin Shock
Mm-hmm.

42:47.22
Nathan Pile
but but But by putting, by creating that space that's comfortable for you and your wife to sit, just chatting, visiting about the day at the end of a day also gives you that piece of, as you say, when you walk around, you have your responsibility is walking with your dogs.

43:04.01
Nathan Pile
So there's a responsibility in that. that is different than being able to sit on your front porch and somebody walks by and you holler hello and could even get up and wander down into the street and have a conversation with them.

43:16.88
Nathan Pile
um

43:17.00
Kevin Shock
Mm-hmm.

43:19.59
Nathan Pile
You know, and so that, again, there's that place of putting yourself in a space that might allow it to become a much bigger open space for conversation and dialogue and to be the neighbor.

43:35.24
Nathan Pile
um

43:38.42
Nathan Pile
Not that you still wouldn't have to engage in conversation, but but by creating the space that you're now willing to go and be in, you're not cloistered inside your house, not having those conversations.

43:53.45
Kevin Shock
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yep. Yeah. Um, so what about you, Nathan? Uh, how could you be a good neighbor? You don't live in a neighborhood like I do.

44:04.15
Nathan Pile
I don't, don't, I, I don't. ah

44:06.58
Kevin Shock
You don't have people walking by your front porch on a regular basis.

44:09.87
Nathan Pile
occasionally I have a neighbor or two that walk by, but they're not, that but they're you know, I would have to really sit out there all day to make sure I get Barb or one of her family members to be walking by and I could say so hello to, but I do think being able to encounter people and have conversations with people.

44:12.55
Kevin Shock
Yeah, sure.

44:28.40
Nathan Pile
um One of the ways for me in the summer that that, um, plays out is is making sure um that I've done I've had a little bit ah of of, that I make the time in my schedule or on the day to be um in conversation.

44:57.00
Nathan Pile
One of the things that I noticed this year about TEND that is it

45:04.78
Nathan Pile
with our summer ministry team and meeting all of the obligations that we have to do with minor staff and year-round staff and some staff having certain weeks of vacation off.

45:17.78
Nathan Pile
This year, I didn't have as many staff on um as other years. And so that meant me making sure I was around and filling in holes that we knew we had in the schedule.

45:32.00
Nathan Pile
which I found kept me from sitting at a table and having conversations with participants more so than in other years.

45:37.59
Kevin Shock
Mmm.

45:39.64
Nathan Pile
And so like, how do we, how do we how do I make sure that you know when it's a a weekend retreat in in the fall or in the winter, that's easier to make sure that I have the time. like I do a little bit of pre-planning ahead of time so that I have the free time to sit and listen and be engaged in conversation in between the different sessions I might be leading because I've done the pre-work beforehand. when When an event like TEND is going on, it's much harder to be able to

46:12.70
Nathan Pile
withdrawal from that. But it was something that I noticed this year as opposed to some other years was that I didn't have the time to sit in. I had some conversations, but I didn't haven't had it. I didn't have as many as I've had in the past. And so that was a disappointment to my to me personally, just on that idea of being able to be a neighbor. And so, um,

46:34.00
Nathan Pile
one of the pieces that of hospitality for me is that when people come, that you know i have some change i have some opportunity to sit in and have conversations and check in with them about their family and what's going on.

46:46.87
Nathan Pile
um And that wasn't true this year because of some other because um of but other obligations I knew existing. And so how do I being good neighbor being a good neighbor a more more ready a goal for myself in certain contexts and in situations um so that I can have those conversations and to be in that dialogue.

47:14.30
Nathan Pile
You know, it's kind of the same idea of you creating that port space for you that you feel like, well, I'm if I feel it feels more welcoming to us, we're going to be more likely to go out there and be in that space.

47:25.80
Nathan Pile
um for me it would be thinking about well how do we staff things differently or how do we make sure that there's coverage in places um so that I might be able to sit and and engage and have conversation um with those who have who have come to be in this space and place um and and that's true sure when I'm at camp and and and and camp spaces but I'm I'm a bit of an over-functioner so even like when I'm with family sometimes I'm like okay what's the next thing that has to happen at the family dinner that we're having together oh we gotta get up and somebody's got to do the dishes I'll just get up and start doing the dishes

48:03.66
Nathan Pile
um And so then that also takes time away then from being a neighbor, being in conversation, being in dialogue.

48:11.40
Kevin Shock
Yeah.

48:11.69
Nathan Pile
um

48:12.14
Kevin Shock
oh

48:12.39
Nathan Pile
You know, because there's so few neighbors that walk through here, in those ways, I'm pretty, like when they walk through and I happen to have five minutes, I just pull up and we chit chat a little bit about, you know, health, family, whatever's going on.

48:25.66
Nathan Pile
um You know, I've got a couple of local guys that are hunters and so they're always like, well, have you seen any turkey or deer, you know, and so... those pieces that happen kind of the spur of the moment are a little bit easier to kind of that conversation with a neighbor but because it's a smaller piece. But to be intentional about the time that I'm with family and family things or um with guests when they're at camp to be able to have those conversations, to be a better neighbor in those ways, that would be like.

48:56.57
Nathan Pile
Thinking about how I restructure my my work, um so that I can be but good neighbor. Because one of the things, again, in my sense of as being a camp and retreat center is that you want people to rest, renew, energize themselves, you know re-energize themselves while they're here.

49:17.57
Nathan Pile
And one of the ways that happens is through relationship with other people. I'm one of the people that live here,

49:42.30
Nathan Pile
But how do we, how do I make sure that as I'm being host to also be enriched by the the relationship that has the possibility of me being a good neighbor and and and and hearing and and engaging with my neighbors who are here um and whatever that looks like.

50:08.72
Nathan Pile
So.

50:12.31
Nathan Pile
Yeah.

50:13.78
Kevin Shock
Yeah, I guess um the as we as we both talk about this, there's there's an element at least ah of being being present with other people in the places where we are.

50:27.67
Kevin Shock
And that like that can be hard to do. I um I sometimes find myself in an ongoing situation and ongoing I don't, I don't know what do you want to call it.

50:46.17
Kevin Shock
An ongoing battle. That's not a battle. there's ah There's an ongoing tension between being present with people and ah doing what I quote unquote need to do when it comes to my work or something like that.

51:03.82
Nathan Pile
Hmm.

51:06.16
Kevin Shock
You know, this this past weekend at the Tend Festival, um I did not open my email Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

51:19.70
Kevin Shock
There are consequences for when I do that.

51:23.15
Nathan Pile
Yeah.

51:23.65
Kevin Shock
I mean I mean, there really are because because I get um yeah I, I get emails from people.

51:23.76
Nathan Pile
But. Sure. Sure.

51:31.79
Kevin Shock
it's It's interesting. you know Everyone has different... um

51:36.48
Kevin Shock
different expectations for how we respond to one another. you know I I When it comes to leaving a voicemail, sending a text message, sending an email, ah for some people, ah my Lisa has talked to me before about how she she loves it when she she gets a doesn't love it.

51:56.62
Kevin Shock
that's that was that was That was me being facetious.

51:58.58
Nathan Pile
Yeah. a wrong word

51:59.78
Kevin Shock
so

52:00.15
Nathan Pile
ah wrong

52:00.50
Kevin Shock
aye the

52:01.12
Nathan Pile
yeah

52:02.74
Kevin Shock
um When someone ah calls and leaves a a voicemail for her and then she gets a ah an email 45 minutes later, hey, did you hear my voicemail?

52:14.79
Kevin Shock
And then a text 45 minutes after that. Did you get my text or my voicemail and my email?

52:17.32
Nathan Pile
yeah

52:20.55
Kevin Shock
um you know there I think that there's a lot going on in the world where people think that they're issue is the most important. And, and for a lot of people, it does feel that way. It feels absolutely feels that way.

52:34.30
Kevin Shock
And in some of those situations, it, it, maybe it is the most important thing, not just for them, but for others too. Um, it's difficult whenever there are a lot of people who feel that way.

52:48.07
Kevin Shock
Um, And that's, you that's just, it's just the reality, uh, that to, to deal with. So I, in order to be present, I sometimes purposefully, I say that all to say, I I treat my email a little bit like I treat my snail mail.

53:05.42
Kevin Shock
And that is, it comes to my inbox and I respond to it in the time that I have to respond to it. And in the either order of priority or in the order I receive.

53:17.19
Kevin Shock
And, um,

53:17.51
Nathan Pile
Sure.

53:19.41
Kevin Shock
And when you get a lot of email, sometimes it takes a while to get back to it. um

53:24.15
Nathan Pile
Sure.

53:25.14
Kevin Shock
But yeah, it's not, I, I, I think that there are probably people out there who think of it.

53:25.15
Nathan Pile
Sure.

53:29.92
Kevin Shock
I'm a, that I ignore them. And the reality is I'm not ignoring them. ah The reality is I'm tending to other people who are either right in front of me or have, you know, have contacted me previously or something like that.

53:43.62
Kevin Shock
And that's, um,

53:43.95
Nathan Pile
Sure, sure

53:46.78
Kevin Shock
So there's, there is a tension and because I, because I will say that sometimes, uh, years ago I turned my email notifications off on my phone. Uh, so I don't get, you know, a reminder or a ah notification whenever someone emails me.

54:03.12
Kevin Shock
i mean, I, I check email fairly regularly when I'm, it doesn't interrupt me.

54:03.29
Nathan Pile
Yep. Sure. But I don't, but I don't let it, know, it's not interrupting my day.

54:10.14
Kevin Shock
Right. Right. And, but the thing that I've noticed over time is that I,

54:11.35
Nathan Pile
no

54:14.36
Kevin Shock
I do get notifications for text messages. And um most of the people I text message with are people in my personal life. But over the course of time, more and more people in my professional life have gotten hold of my cell phone number. Some of them I don't know how.

54:32.23
Kevin Shock
and And um so that you know that that comes through. And that and and ah the thing that I have to work on more is that when something like that happens, when I'm trying to tend to the people right in front of me, it's easy for me to, um be focused on that, you know, that message that I received or something like that. But yeah, I, yeah.

54:59.12
Kevin Shock
I, I, so I think that being a good neighbor means being present. I think that that's some of it too.

55:07.76
Nathan Pile
Hmm.

55:11.80
Kevin Shock
Yep. Any other thoughts, Nathan?

55:13.97
Nathan Pile
Yeah. No, I would I would echo all of what you were sharing there is is part of, you know, but how to be how being present um as neighbor is important.

55:28.46
Kevin Shock
Yeah. Yeah. And I think, I think I've heard people in my life say about how they, uh, either need to, or want to work on being better at that. Uh, and I've heard people in my life, um,

55:41.94
Kevin Shock
whom I respect say that they have perceived that there are lots of, lots of people that they, um, uh, that they see who that they perceive who need to work on that, or it's something rather it's something collectively as a society that we need to work on.

56:01.84
Kevin Shock
Yeah.

56:02.68
Nathan Pile
Sure.

56:02.73
Kevin Shock
That's a better way to say it. So,

56:05.76
Nathan Pile
Yeah. Yeah, like,

56:09.74
Nathan Pile
You did a fine job articulating the the challenge that is, ever you know, we've we've gotten great technology that allows us to communicate and lots of new ways, but we still only have so much time.

56:23.15
Kevin Shock
That's right. We still only have so much time and so much bandwidth. And, um, and it seems like some of these ways that we've gotten better at quote unquote, communicating with each other has made us worse at communicating in a way that is, um, that builds people up in his life giving.

56:40.02
Kevin Shock
Yeah.

56:42.56
Kevin Shock
Okay, well, um some additional texts that you can look at this week ah from Deuteronomy chapter 30 verses 9 through 14.

56:44.14
Nathan Pile
All right.

56:54.15
Kevin Shock
ah The Lord will take delight in your fruitfulness. this is not ah this these are not This is not either of the sections that is quoted in the gospel from Deuteronomy, but the theme is the same about loving God and loving your neighbor.

57:08.44
Nathan Pile
Hmm.

57:11.91
Kevin Shock
and and what results as ah as a as um as the nation does that. Psalm 25 verses one through 10, show me your ways, O Lord, and teach me your paths.

57:23.04
Kevin Shock
ah From Colossians one verses one through 14, the gospel is growing, bearing fruit in the whole world. Our semi-continuous readings from Hebrew scripture, ah Amos 7 verses 7 through 17, a plumb line will judge the people and Psalm 82, arise, O God and rule the earth.

57:48.87
Kevin Shock
Nathan, thanks for being attentive to our conversation as a part of this podcast and, and, um, being a good neighbor to me in these conversations.

58:03.65
Kevin Shock
ah Friends, we always are eager to hear your reflections um on social media, email, ah or I guess by um ah texting us or calling us, I don't I don't know, or or bumping into us somewhere and telling us you listen to the podcast.

58:20.48
Kevin Shock
ah In any case, whatever the method, we hope to tend our faith with you again soon.

58:20.50
Nathan Pile
Yeah.

58:24.66
Kevin Shock
Grace to you.

58:26.24
Nathan Pile
And peace.