The Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz

Episode: Day 248 – Cut to the Heart

Date: September 5, 2025
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz (Ascension)
Scripture: Jeremiah 35-36, Judith 6-7, Proverbs 17:1-4

Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz guides listeners through significant Old Testament passages, focusing on themes of faithfulness, integrity, resistance to God’s word, and the process of spiritual purification. Using real-life biblical stories—the fidelity of the Rechabites, King Jehoiakim’s destruction of Jeremiah’s scroll, the siege of Bethuliah, and wise proverbs—Fr. Mike calls listeners to consider how both challenge and suffering can lead to deeper faith, and cautions against the temptation to ignore parts of God’s word that are difficult to accept.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Rechabites: A Model of Faithfulness

[Jeremiah 35 | 12:30]

• The Rechabites are praised for steadfastly obeying their ancestor Jonadab’s command not to drink wine or settle in houses, but to live as nomads.
• Their commitment "even in the face of opposition" stands in sharp contrast to the broader unfaithfulness of the people of Judah to God's commands.
• Fr. Mike draws a parallel, reflecting:

  "You have God himself who has given you these commands, and you dismiss them... The standard isn't the lowest common denominator. The standard is: here’s how high God has called us to." [16:45]

• The Rechabites are an image of integrity: a reminder that witnessing the goodness of others can provoke "the good kind" of shame, compelling us to rise to a higher standard.

2. King Jehoiakim and the Burning of the Scroll

[Jeremiah 36 | 19:45]

• Jeremiah dictates all of God’s words to Baruch, who reads them aloud in the Temple.
• The officials are “cut to the heart,” realizing the gravity of the message and wanting to bring it to the king’s attention.
• Jehoiakim’s reaction is chilling: as the scroll is read, he systematically cuts each column and burns it, unmoved and unrepentant.
• Fr. Mike highlights this as a warning for today:

  "He does not repent. It doesn’t cut him to the heart. In fact, he cuts the Word of God… The temptation is to dismiss the Word of God, where the Spirit of God is meant to cut us to the heart." [22:40]

• The refusal to be "cut to the heart" leads to destruction—a spiritual and literal cutting off.

3. Judith: Siege, Despair, and the Test of Faith

[Judith 6-7 | 26:30]

• Holofernes, angered by Achior's prophecy about Israel’s God defending the faithful, hands Achior over to the Israelites at Bethuliah.
• Bethuliah is besieged for 34 days; water is cut off, and the people’s courage fails. The city’s leaders face immense pressure to surrender.
• The enemies' strategy:

  "Do not fight against them in battle array… only let your servants take possession of the spring of water. For this is where all the people…get their water. So thirst will destroy them." [29:50]

• The community’s most desperate moment leads to a call for faith and endurance—Uzziah urges the people to “hold out for five more days”, trusting God’s mercy.
• Fr. Mike anticipates tomorrow’s episode, introducing Judith as an exemplar of courage and faith.

4. Proverbs: Purification through Trial

[Proverbs 17:3 | 11:25]

• Fr. Mike reflects deeply on the image:

  "The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tries hearts… The Lord allows us to be tried so that our hearts can become more and more clean, which is so good." [12:05]

• He encourages listeners to view personal trials as opportunities for purification, not sources of bitterness or resentment:

  "Will I allow myself to be purified, or will I become bitter? If I become bitter, it’s not going to make me better. But if I say yes…then we’re going to allow ourselves to be tested and then purified." [13:30]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Rechabites’ integrity:
  "When you see people who are consistently people of integrity… you realize, oh my gosh, yeah, that's the standard. The standard isn’t the lowest common denominator. The standard is: here’s how high God has called us to.” [16:45]
• On burning God’s word:
  "He does not repent. It doesn’t cut him to the heart. In fact, he cuts the Word of God. The Word of God doesn’t cut him." [22:46]
• On being purified by trials:
  "The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tries hearts… The Lord will purify hearts, just like the crucible purifies silver." [12:05]
• On faithful endurance:
  "Have courage... let us hold out for five more days. By that time the Lord our God will restore us to his mercy, for he will not forsake us utterly." (Uzziah, quoting Judith 7, cited by Fr. Mike) [31:10]
• On the temptation to “edit” God’s Word:
  “Sometimes we come across teachings of God in his Word… the temptation is going to be, God, I'm going to cut those out. I'm just going to ignore those as opposed to... allow that to cut me to the heart.” [23:45]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:04 — Fr. Mike’s warm introduction
• 11:25 — Reflection on Proverbs 17:3 and purification through trial
• 12:30 — The story and witness of the Rechabites
• 19:45 — Jeremiah, Baruch, and the burning of the scroll (Jeremiah 36)
• 22:46 — The symbolism of being "cut to the heart" by God's Word
• 26:30 — Siege of Bethuliah and the challenges faced by the Israelites (Judith 6–7)
• 29:50 — Enemies' strategy: cutting off the water supply
• 31:10 — Uzziah’s call for endurance and trust
• 32:45 — Fr. Mike's closing encouragement and preview for next episode

Episode Tone and Style

Fr. Mike’s delivery is conversational, enthusiastic, and pastoral—with humor (“I’m not challenging, just inviting… it’s fine, you guys!”), warmth, and passion for the Scriptures. He moves seamlessly from narrative storytelling to personal reflection, always inviting listeners to see themselves in the biblical drama and to strive for deeper faith and trust in God.

Summary Takeaways

• Let yourself be cut to the heart: Don’t resist or “edit” the hard parts of God’s word. True transformation needs courage and vulnerability.
• See faithfulness as the standard: Like the Rechabites, aspire to integrity—let the goodness of others inspire, not discourage.
• Trials purify, if you let them: Don’t grow bitter in hardship; use every test as a chance to become more like Christ.
• Hold on in the siege: Faithfulness is often a matter of endurance—sometimes, all God asks is that we “hold out” a little longer in hope.
• Look forward to the emergence of new heroes: Even in the bleakest moments, God raises up unexpected instruments (like Judith) for deliverance.

Closing Words:
Fr. Mike reminds listeners he’s praying for them and encourages prayers for one another as the journey through the Bible continues.