The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) — Day 316: Absolute Surrender

Podcast: The Bible in a Year
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz (Ascension)
Episode: Day 316: Absolute Surrender
Date: November 12, 2025

Episode Overview

On Day 316, Fr. Mike Schmitz guides listeners through Luke chapters 9 and 10, and Proverbs 26:4-6. The episode centers around the theme of "absolute surrender" to God, exploring what it means to fully give oneself—beyond acts of penance and sacrifice—to the lordship of Jesus. Through in-depth reflection on scriptural events such as the Mission of the Twelve, the Transfiguration, the sending of the 70, and the stories of the Good Samaritan and Mary & Martha, Fr. Mike draws connections between Jesus' radical call to discipleship and the practical challenges of living a life yielded to God in the midst of everyday anxieties.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Radical Call to Discipleship: Absolute Surrender

• Scripture Focus: Luke 9:23 — "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
• Fr. Mike unpacks the depth of what Jesus means by self-denial:
  • Not just intermittent fasting or occasional sacrifices.
  • "What Jesus is saying...is actually rejecting oneself. It's this term of absolute surrender of oneself." (22:34)
  • Absolute surrender means renouncing all personal claims on life, time, comfort, future, and possessions:

    "I have renounced any claim I have on my time, any claim I have on my comfort, any claim I have on my future, any claim I have on anything that I would call mine is actually not mine." (23:55)

2. Jesus’ Divine Claims and the Cost of Following Him

• Fr. Mike highlights that Jesus’ requirements are profound and nonsensical for a mere teacher—He is God:

  "It makes no sense for simply a rabbi to say, 'let the dead bury their dead.' It doesn't make any sense for a simple rabbi to say, 'you can't even say goodbye to your family before you come and follow me.'" (26:37)

• The demands underscore Jesus' divine authority and lead to true freedom, not slavery.

3. The Transfiguration and Jesus’ “Exodus”

• Scripture Focus: Luke 9:28-36
• The discussion of the Transfiguration reveals:
  • Jesus speaks with Moses and Elijah about "his Exodus, which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem" (28:41)
  • Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament: New Moses, New Elijah, New David, New Joshua.
  • Jesus' mission mirrors Israel’s liberation from slavery—He leads all from the bondage of sin to promised freedom through His death and resurrection.

  “He is the fulfillment of every promise of the Old Testament...the greatest event was setting them free from slavery...and this is what Jesus is doing.” (29:12)

4. The Dangers of Distraction: Mary, Martha, and the “Work Beneath the Work”

• Scripture Focus: Luke 10:38-42
• Fr. Mike connects the story of Mary and Martha to Jesus’ parable of the sower:
  • Martha’s issue: Not evil or overwork, but anxiety and being troubled by “the cares of life.”
  • Relates to seeds choked by thorns (cares and pleasures) in the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8).

  "Her problem was that the cares of life...were choking the life of God in her life." (33:17)

  • Fr. Mike distinguishes between the essential work and “the work beneath the work”—anxieties about others' opinions, self-worth, and identity.

  "We all have work to do, but there is a work that a lot of us choose to take up, that we don’t have to do...they cause us sadness, they cause us distress." (34:02)

• The call is to do one’s duty, but lay down unnecessary burdens and anxieties to walk in joy and freedom.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Surrender:

  "It is utter and complete self surrender to the lordship of Jesus...I renounce my claim to my own life and say that actually the only one who has a claim on my life is God himself."
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz (23:18)

• On Jesus' Authority:

  "It doesn't make any sense for a rabbi to say, you have to renounce all your property, all your things, all your everything you have a claim to in order to be my disciple. That doesn't. Makes no sense if Jesus was just a rabbi. But Jesus is not merely a rabbi. He is God incarnate."
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz (26:55)

• On Martha’s Anxiety:

  "Her problem was not that she was evil. Her problem was not that she was working too hard. Her problem was that the cares of life, the cares of that day were choking the life of God in her life."
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz (33:17)

• On Freedom from Anxieties:

  "One thing we can do is we can put down the work beneath the work so that we can walk in freedom and in joy."
  — Fr. Mike Schmitz (35:20)

Important Timestamps

• 00:04 — Episode introduction, context, and reading plan
• 01:21–21:00 — Reading of Luke 9–10 and Proverbs 26:4-6 (includes the Mission of the Twelve/Seventy, Peter’s confession, the Transfiguration, Exorcisms, Parable of the Good Samaritan, and Martha & Mary)
• 21:22 — Opening prayer of thanksgiving and surrender
• 22:34 — Reflection on Jesus' call to absolute surrender and denying oneself
• 26:37 — Reflection on the cost of discipleship and Jesus’ divine authority
• 28:41 — The Transfiguration and the significance of Jesus' “Exodus”
• 33:10 — Exploration of Martha’s anxiety and “the work beneath the work”
• 35:20 — Concluding personal encouragement and prayers for freedom and joy

Flow & Tone

Fr. Mike delivers with his signature enthusiasm, warmth, and pastoral sincerity. He draws listeners deeply into the Scriptures, connects ancient events to daily discipleship, and challenges them to a radically surrendered, joy-filled Christian life.

For Listeners:

If you seek to understand what it means to “deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus,” this episode reveals the profound depth behind Jesus’ words and offers encouragement for navigating everyday distractions and anxieties—reminding you, as always, “I’m praying for you; please pray for me.”