The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

Episode: Day 49 – The Year of Jubilee

Date: February 18, 2026

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode centers on understanding the biblical foundations and deeper significance of the Sabbath, sabbatical year, and the Year of Jubilee as presented in Exodus 35-36 and Leviticus 25. Fr. Mike Schmitz guides listeners through these readings, highlighting the crucial role of worship, rest, and justice in Israel’s relationship with God. The episode focuses especially on questions of divine repetition, the structures of worship, the radical concept of rest (both for people and land), and the revolutionary societal reset embedded in Jubilee legislation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Repetition in Worship Instructions

• Scriptural Readings: Exodus 35 & 36 cover the repeated instructions regarding Sabbath observance and detailed tabernacle construction and offerings.
• Fr. Mike’s Insight: Repetition in Scripture signals importance. God’s frequent reiteration of worship laws demonstrates that worship isn’t merely ritual but foundational to one’s relationship with God.
  • Quote (01:47):

    “We repeat the things that are important, and we highlight those things that are important by uttering them again.”

  • Fr. Mike relates this to his brother’s observation on preaching:
    "Yeah, dude, because we remember stuff that gets repeated over and over again." (02:10)

2. Dimensions and Details of the Tabernacle

• Multiple resources—gold, silver, bronze, fine cloth, wood, stones—are voluntarily offered and skillfully employed in crafting the tabernacle.
• Emphasis: These specifications, though seemingly obscure or “super duper familiar," matter because they reflect God's wishes and shape the heart of Israel’s worship.
  • Quote (17:20):

    “It’s not important because God needs us to use acacia wood… It’s because the worship that God instructs us to offer does something for us.”

3. Worship According to God’s Terms

• Fr. Mike contrasts biblically-rooted worship with “invented worship”:
  • Quote (18:24):

    “When we invent worship, we’re doing something completely wrong... As opposed to saying, okay, how has God commanded us to worship him?”

• He highlights continuity from Old to New Testament worship, culminating in the Eucharistic liturgy.
  • (19:10):

    “Here is the New Testament priesthood… Here is the New Testament, new and eternal sacrifice, which is the fulfillment of the old sacrifice.”

4. The Sabbatical Year & Radical Trust

• Leviticus 25 introduces the sabbath for the land—every 7th year, the Israelites are to rest the farmed land, living off its natural yield.
  • Quote (21:03):

    “On the seventh year… you rest and let the land rest. And there’s something about this that’s just like… so backwards. Especially for our [society]… demands acquisition, demands all this work. And yet here is God who says ‘No, on the seventh year, rest.’”

• Significance: This affirms both liberation from slavery and absolute dependence on God’s providence.

5. Jubilee: The Societal Reset (Leviticus 25)

• Every 50th year (after 7 cycles of 7 years), the Year of Jubilee is proclaimed:
  • Provisions: Debts forgiven, property returned, slaves set free—restoration for all.
  • Quote (22:45):

    “If you had property that you had to let go of... you got your property back. If you had to sell yourself into slavery… you were set free. If you had any debts, those debts were forgiven. It’s just this year of restoration.”

• Application: God’s justice built into Israel’s economy ensures no one remains permanently dispossessed.
  • Quote (24:33):

    “Therefore, every 7th day, rest, because you’re not a slave. Every 7th year, rest, because you’re not a slave. And every 50th year... rest and set free, because you are not meant to be slaves.”

6. Biblical Slavery: Context Matters

• Fr. Mike tackles the unsettling topic of slavery in Leviticus:
  • He clarifies biblical servitude as primarily economic and not equivalent to later race-based chattel slavery.
  • Quote (23:38):

    “It’s not the same kind of slavery that we had in this country years ago... It was based off of something like overly domineering… In fact Scripture says ... ‘you shall not abuse them. Why? Because I am the Lord your God.’”

  • Important Context: God accommodates social norms of the ancient world but places clear restrictions and enforces regular liberation.

7. Approaching Difficult Passages

• Recognizing confusion is part of the process; humility before God and historical context are essential.
  • Quote (26:05):

    “Whenever we read the Bible, we have to read it in context… God is helping you grow, so I’m allowing this now. But even how I’m allowing this has restrictions.”

8. Psalm 81: God’s Longing for Israel’s Trust

• Worship, trust, and liberation also converge in Psalm 81, where God invites Israel to listen, let go of stubbornness, and experience provision ("I would feed you with the finest of wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you" (30:15)).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Repetition in Scripture (01:47):

  “We repeat the things that are important… by uttering them again.”

• On Worship Design (18:49):

  “When we invent worship, we’re doing something so, so backwards from what God is instructing us to do.”

• On Sabbath and Trust (21:18):

  “It’s not just affirming, you’re no longer slaves… but it’s also affirming, ‘God, I trust you.’”

• On Jubilee's Social Reset (22:45):

  “It’s just this year of restoration.”

• On Historical Context and Growth (25:59):

  “God has already brought us to level 14 or whatever level we’re at right now where we understand that this [slavery] is problematic, and God is saying yes, it is. But we have to start somewhere.”

• Humility Before Scripture (28:15):

  “If I’m not confused, I’m not clear enough. Meaning me, Father Mike. If I’m not clear enough, look it up, because I will not have all the answers.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:04] – Introduction, summary of readings and worship focus
• [01:30] – Importance of repetition in God’s instructions
• [17:20] – Commentary on why tabernacle details matter
• [18:24] – Creating worship on God’s terms vs. our own
• [21:03] – The radical trust of the sabbatical year
• [22:45] – Jubilee: societal restoration; debts, property, and freedom
• [23:38] – Slavery in Leviticus: context and God’s regulation
• [26:05] – Encouragement to read with humility and seek context
• [28:15] – Father Mike on not having all the answers
• [30:15] – Psalm 81’s image of divine provision and invitation

Summary Flow & Conclusion

This episode weaves through detailed scriptural instruction and profound reflection on Israel’s practice of worship, justice, and rest. Fr. Mike carefully underscores the importance of reading difficult Bible passages in historical context, encourages deep trust in God’s commands (even when they challenge contemporary mindsets), and highlights the Jubilee as a model for restoring justice and freedom in society. Listeners are left with a reverent sense of mystery, the necessity of humility before God’s Word, and the challenge to shape their lives by the “heart of worship”: sacrifice, trust, and love.

End note:

“Let’s keep praying for each other. My name’s Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.” (32:10)