The Sin Jesus Spoke About Most Seriously
episodePreviously titled “The Sin Jesus Spoke About Most Seriously (w/ Fr. Mike Schmitz)” — renamed by the publisher on Aug 5, 2026
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Why does Jesus warn that causing a little one to sin is like a millstone around your neck?
I live on work on a college campus and so one of the one of the areas of of sin that scandal that is is really a apparent is what you might call the big three. Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz and this is Essential Presents. I remember talking to a man once, he said, uh one of the most frightening verses in the Bible was it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. He said worldwide, globally speaking, I'm wealthy, um compared to to the rest of the world, you know, here we are in America. And then he also had done pretty well financially. He's like, that's a scary line. He said, if if you could hear if you can hear that verse in the United States in the United States of America and be in the a middle class or upper middle class, or even, you know, beyond that, that should scare you.
Another scary line. is uh if one of you should cause one of these little ones to sin, it would b it would be better for a great millstone. Jesus said this, a great millstone to be placed around his neck and he'd be cast into the sea. If you cause one of these little ones to sin. And so one of my one from for myself, I know that this is a, that's a, that's a fear, but especially when it comes to teachers and when it comes to preaching, when it comes to representing Jesus, representing the church. This is a real fear. In fact, I remember the day, it was a moral theology with uh Professor Dr. Christopher Thompson at the St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul. And uh we went through this and he said, gentlemen, because we're talking to a bunch of seminarians planning to be priests.
Deciding to be priests. He said, He said, Listen, if you want to know how serious, how serious all of this is, if you if you go on to get ordained, you go on to be a representative of Jesus and his church in this world, he said, I have one word for you, and that word is millstones. If you cause one of these little ones to sin, it'd be better for a great millstone to be placed around your neck and be cast into the sea. In fact, even James, James says this. He says, Not many. Many of you should aspire to be teachers, my brethren. Because as teachers, you'll be liable to a stricter judgment. Нерз that sense of like our actions have weight.
How does Father Mike define “scandal” as a sin that leads others into wrongdoing?
And if you're gonna be a Christian, your actions Have weight, they have significance, and not just for priests, not just for teachers, but for any Christian. Our actions have weight. So w what do we call it? We call that scandal, right? There's this s sin of scandal that I think we don't typically think about uh scandal as a sin. We think of things that are scandalous. When we think of things that are scandalous, we think of we think of things that are shocking. Like that's just scandalous that that the person said this or this person acted this way. They did this certain thing. And we're just simply shocked by this. But the actual definition of scandal when it comes to the church, when it comes to Catholic faith, is scandal is an attitude or behavior.
That causes others to sin. So do I have an attitude? Have I have I taught something that causes someone else to sin? Do I have a behavior? Do I live a certain way so that other people Fall into sin. And this is this is this is a real danger for every one of us. Why? Because someone's always watching. Now I mean I don't mean that in a way that it it causes to us to be paranoid. But I mean that in the way of Everywhere you and I go. We are a representative of something greater than ourselves everywhere we go. We're representative of something greater than ourselves. And so my attitude or my actions
What are the “big three” calls for Catholic students—excellence, sobriety, and chastity?
could either lead someone closer to knowledge and love of God, or they could lead someone further away from knowledge and love of God. Scandal is that attitude or behavior is that causes someone else to sin. What what does that mean? Well that means like this. It means it means that as a Christian, I I may not simply do whatever it is I want. Not just for my own soul, but because because By my actions or by my attitudes, not by my behaviors.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why does Jesus warn that causing a little one to sin is like a millstone around your neck?
0:00–1:55
2
How does Father Mike define “scandal” as a sin that leads others into wrongdoing?
1:55–3:14
3
What are the “big three” calls for Catholic students—excellence, sobriety, and chastity?
3:14–4:50
4
Why must our attitudes and behaviors be a public witness to Christ on campus?
4:50–6:18
5
How can gossip and seemingly harmless comments become a scandal that harms others?
6:18–7:36
6
What practical steps does Father Mike suggest to avoid becoming a stumbling block for others?
7:36–9:00
7
How does the call to be “salt of the earth” and “light of the world” shape our daily choices?
9:00–10:23
8
What prayer does Father Mike recommend for protecting others from our mistakes?
10:23–11:37