The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Episode: Day 259: The Sermon on the Mount (2025)
Date: September 16, 2025
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz (Ascension)
Scripture Readings: Matthew 5–7 (“Sermon on the Mount”) & Proverbs 18:21–24
Episode Overview
In this episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz guides listeners through the entire Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5–7) and Proverbs 18:21–24, unpacking Jesus’ central teachings on righteousness, prayer, discipleship, and the transformation of the heart. Fr. Mike emphasizes the continuity between the Old and New Testaments, particularly how Jesus fulfills—rather than abolishes—the Law, and highlights how Christian holiness is about conforming our hearts and actions to God’s will.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Context: Jesus as the New Moses
- Fr. Mike opens by paralleling Jesus’ ascent of the mountain in Matthew to Moses receiving the Law in the Old Testament.
- Quote [12:15]: “Here is Jesus as the new Moses who's going to give not only a new law, he's also going to bring people to a new exodus, which is incredible—a new place of freedom.”
Insight: Christianity is not a break from Judaism but the fulfillment of its promises. The Old Testament sets the stage for the New, which is why Christians value both covenants.
2. The Beatitudes and New Law (Matthew 5)
- Jesus proclaims the Beatitudes, radical blessings for the poor in spirit, the meek, the peacemakers, those who mourn, and the persecuted.
- The new law includes deeper requirements: not only refraining from evil acts (murder, adultery) but rooting out their causes (anger, lust) from the heart.
- Quote [15:24]: “The issue is not the sin itself. The issue is the broken heart that commits the sin.”
Insight: Jesus cares not just about what we do, but why we do it—He aims to heal our hearts, not just control our behavior.
3. Exceeding the Righteousness of the Pharisees
- “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” [Matthew 5:20]
Insight: Jesus expects a righteousness that is more than external compliance; He calls for interior conversion.
4. Teaching on Almsgiving, Prayer, and Fasting (Matthew 6)
- Christians are not only called to give alms, pray, and fast, but to do so with integrity, seeking God’s approval, not human praise.
- Quote [19:05]: “The opinion that should matter the most is the Father's opinion… And we know this because Jesus says, when you give alms, when you fast, when you pray. He’s not saying if you—he’s saying when.”
Insight: Genuine spiritual practices are done before God, not as performances. “When, not if”—these practices are assumed for disciples.
5. The Lord’s Prayer: Relationship with God
- Jesus instructs the disciples to pray intimately: “Our Father.”
- Quote [22:55]: “You realize he’s already attentive to you… The Father is fighting, constantly fighting for our attention. And so when we give it to him in prayer, it’s an act of love.”
Insight: Prayer is not about grabbing God’s attention, but realizing He yearns for ours.
6. Treasures in Heaven and Trust in Providence
- Do not store up riches on earth, but in heaven, for “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
- Jesus urges listeners to trust God and not be anxious.
Insight: Worry and material focus jeopardize spiritual growth; trust in God’s care is essential.
7. On Judging Others and Self-Examination (Matthew 7)
- “Judge not, that you may not be judged.”
- Before correcting others, address your own faults (“take the log out of your own eye”).
Insight: Humility and self-awareness should precede correction of others.
8. Ask, Seek, Knock; The Golden Rule
- Persistence in prayer is encouraged: “Ask, and it will be given; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened.”
- “Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. For this is the law and the prophets.”
Insight: God gives generously, and Christian ethics are rooted in treating others as we desire to be treated.
9. The Narrow Gate and True Discipleship
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Following Jesus is demanding; “the gate is narrow… that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
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“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom…but he who does the will of my Father.”
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Quote [26:45]: “You might have done some incredible things, but did you do my Father’s will? This is the secret to holiness… the secret of holiness is doing what the Father has asked.”
Insight: Faith must bear fruit in action—obedience, not empty words, is the mark of true disciples.
10. Building Life on Solid Rock
- Jesus uses the metaphor of builders: those who put His words into action build on rock; those who don’t build on sand.
Insight: Foundations matter—living Jesus’ teachings secures one against life’s storms.
Proverbs Reflection
Proverbs 18:21–24
- “Death and life are in the power of the tongue… There are friends who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
Quote [10:10]: “A true friend comes along so infrequently that when you find one, the only response is thanksgiving… what a gift.”
Insight: The rarity and value of true friendship, an encouragement to seek and cherish steadfast relationships.
Timestamps for Notable Segments
- [05:18] – Jesus as the fulfillment of the Mosaic Law
- [14:45] – The heart as the root of our sins
- [19:05] – On almsgiving, prayer, and fasting—“when you, not if you”
- [22:55] – The Father’s eager attention in prayer
- [26:45] – Doing the Father’s will as the secret of holiness
- [28:35] – Proverbs reflection: true friendship
Memorable Quotes
“Jesus is not only saying, yes, those things are bad… He's also saying, I want to diagnose your heart. And the problem is not just that you want to kill people or that you kill people. The problem is you want to.”
— Fr. Mike Schmitz [15:10]
“Christianity doesn’t pop out of nowhere. It is the fulfillment of everything that every Jewish person who was faithful to the Lord longed for.”
— Fr. Mike Schmitz [07:20]
“When you give alms, when you fast, when you pray… He’s not saying if you. He’s saying when you. Which means that as disciples of Jesus Christ, if we are not regularly giving alms, if we're not regularly praying, if we're not regularly fasting, then we’re not doing what he’s told us essentially to do.”
— Fr. Mike Schmitz [19:13]
“A true friend comes along so infrequently that when you find one, the only response is thanksgiving… what a gift.”
— Fr. Mike Schmitz [10:10]
“The secret of holiness is doing what the Father has asked.”
— Fr. Mike Schmitz [26:45]
Tone & Engagement
Fr. Mike maintains a warm, approachable, and encouraging tone throughout the episode, mixing clear biblical teaching with practical personal applications and humor (“If you’ve been hunting this down every single day, there’s something impressive about that!” [01:15]). He emphasizes gratitude, humility, and the continual journey of spiritual transformation.
Summary Takeaway
Fr. Mike’s exploration of the Sermon on the Mount invites listeners to recognize that following Jesus is about letting Him transform our hearts and not just our behaviors. True Christian living is “faith working itself out in love”—acting according to the Father’s will, rooting every spiritual practice in sincerity, and living the teachings of Christ as both foundation and daily guide.
“I’m praying for you. Please pray for me. What a gift we get to walk through Matthew together.”
— Fr. Mike Schmitz [End of Episode]