February 5, 2025 • 11 mins
The Ripple Effect of Kindness: Exploring the 5th Beatitude
Join the Good News team, Lynn Shematek, Lauren Welch, and Jon Shematek, as they delve into the 5th Beatitude from Matthew's Gospel: 'Blessed are the merciful, for they shall have mercy shown to them.' In this insightful conversation, they discuss the essence of mercy, sharing personal anecdotes and examples from the scriptures. They explore how small acts of kindness can create ripples of compassion, the difficulties of showing mercy to those we dislike or don't understand, and practical steps to cultivate a merciful heart. Tune in for a thought-provoking and inspirational discussion on how we can embody mercy in our daily lives.
00:00 The Ripple Effect of Kindness
00:14 Introducing the 5th Beatitude
00:29 Personal Reflections on Mercy
02:28 Challenges in Showing Mercy
03:42 Cultivating Compassion and Understanding
04:34 Jesus as the Ultimate Example of Mercy
08:06 Practical Steps to Show Mercy
10:25 Final Thoughts and Reflections
10:51 Closing Remarks and Resources
Visit us at our website at https://listeningforclues.com/
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Dolores (00:00):
Picture every act of kindness as a pebble dropped into a pond.
(00:04):
The ripples spread outwards andeventually return to where they began.
In one of his beatitudes, Jesus speaksabout being merciful this way...
. So let's join a conversation withour Good News team Lynn Shematek,
Lauren Welch and Jon Shematek.
Lauren (00:19):
Today, we're going to talk about the 5th Beatitude in Matthew's
Gospel, Blessed are the merciful, forthey shall have mercy shown to them.
Jon, what's the first thing thatcomes to mind when you hear merciful?
Jon (00:34):
the first thing that comes to mind when I hear merciful is that
maybe I've done something wrong.
And maybe somebody hasbeen kind to me about that.
Showing me mercy means they've Itmight be being forgiven, but I'm also
thinking that it just they are makingme feel okay about it, even though
(00:57):
I've done something that might'vebeen wrong or offensive in some way.
That's the first thingthat flies into my mind.
Lauren (01:05):
How about you, Lynn?
Lynn (01:07):
I often think of the, movies I used to see in the gladiators, and they'd
be, with the thumb up, and then putthe thumb down, I always thought, oh,
that's an interesting way of doing it.
But anyway, merciful issomething that I really work on.
I like to be merciful, because I hopepeople will be as merciful to me.
(01:32):
I recognize how many of the things I docould be taken as, irritant or, parts
of speech I might use inadvertently.
I hope people are merciful when they thinkabout what I'm saying and what I'm doing.
Lauren (01:46):
It sounds like it's really important that we understand ourselves.
and know how we might offend or, havesomeone show us mercy, if people show
us mercy, it makes us more willing,to have mercy for other people.
Jon (02:07):
a lot of times when I've done a small act of kindness like letting a car
get in ahead of me or someone With theirshopping cart get into the cashier I
think I'll let them in I sometimes think
Maybe someone will let me in thenext time maybe someone Be kind to
me because I've shown this littleact of kindness to someone else.
Lauren (02:28):
The disciples had a hard time figuring out how many times
they needed to be merciful, In theGospels, Peter asked Jesus, How many
times do I have to forgive my brother?
Seven times?
And Jesus seems to say,a lot more than that.
And even our enemies, even peoplethat we really don't like, and
(02:48):
that's when it gets harder, I think.
how do we begin to have mercy towardspeople who do horrendous things.
But how do we begin to have mercy withpeople who we just don't understand?
Lynn (03:08):
That's a great question.
I think that's very difficultbecause you're dealing with
the fear of the unknown.
we don't know the person, we don'tunderstand, this is terrible, this
person's done this, and it's awful.
it's very hard to get around that.
You have to realize that they're allhuman beings, they're all children of God.
(03:29):
maybe they have a problem andthey just can't express it So
that's a very difficult thing to
Jon (03:38):
Yeah, I absolutely agree it's difficult to do.
I'm wondering whether the firststep, might be having the intention.
We may not always have the ability,but having the intention to understand
the other person, we can neverknow how someone else is feeling.
(03:58):
we can't say that.
that's one of the most irritatingthings I hear is when someone
says, I know how you feel.
you don't know how I feel.
I don't know how you feel, but,can I begin to imagine what
that person is experiencing?
if I can begin to put myself intheir shoes, not to identify them
so much, but to get an inner senseof where they are, how are they
(04:23):
hurting, because they probably arehurting if they're doing something.
I'm thinking, you gave a great example,Lauren, from the scriptures about how
many times do we need to forgive someone.
When I was thinking about, Theword mercy, after you asked me the
first time, I thought about, wheredo we see that in the Gospels?
how many times do we hear someonecalling out to Jesus, have mercy on me.
(04:51):
I'm blind.
Have mercy on me.
My daughter's dying.
this desire, that the divine onewill enter that person's life and
help them move toward healing.
when Jesus came to, so manycircumstances of his healing ministries,
he felt compassion for the person.
He, which literally means heentered into their suffering,
(05:14):
he was suffering with them.
he was perfect, he could do that.
we're not quite that good.
It takes practice, just like everything.
if we can, begin to cultivate a feelingof compassion a step in that direction
is what you were saying, Lynn, is torecognize that we're all children of
God, and siblings together in thatsituation, then maybe we'll find it
(05:37):
possible to be a little bit compassionate,understanding, kind, even to someone
who is In our judgment, really awfulpeople, if they're doing bad things, I
think it is possible to show them mercy.
Not easy, but possible.
Lauren (05:56):
I agree with you, Jon.
Along with what you're saying aboutputting ourselves in their shoes, we
can get to know them a little betterby, asking where they're hurting,
What is most important to them?
getting to know about theirfamily, their circumstances.
if we start by getting to know them.
(06:16):
then I think compassion comes alittle easier sometimes if we begin to
talk about things we have in common.
We may develop a relationship.
In relationship, you can show mercy.
(06:37):
We might be able to show mercy, more oftenif we're in relationship with people.
Jesus actually got to knowpeople pretty quickly.
the Centurion who came to him,he saw him for who he was It's
being present to that person.
That's hard when you don't likesomeone . When you like someone,
(07:01):
it's not so hard, but when you don'tlike someone, it's hard to be present
Jon (07:07):
I've always thought of Jesus, as having the most highly developed sense of
intuition of any human being that's everwalked on this earth he would ask people
what they needed but he knew in his heart.
what they needed.
So I think that, he's pretty goodexample for us in terms of what it,
what we can do to be merciful to others.
Lauren (07:30):
He was merciful from the cross,
Jon (07:34):
Yes.
Lauren (07:34):
from the beginning, throughout all of his ministry, he was merciful
to people by loving them, and I thinkbecause of his great love for the divine.
And if we understand howmuch the divine loves us.
Then, we can extend that and know thatthe divine allows other people, if we
(07:56):
really do know that we are all childrenof God, we are siblings of one another.
So what can we do?
How can we begin to cultivate this mercytowards others, what are small things
that we can do with someone that wehaven't seen for a while, or someone
(08:21):
that has a need that we could fulfill?
What are some small things we can do?
Lynn (08:27):
But one of the most important things is contact, communication
Between people.
write an email or, senda text or something.
Just say, thinking of you, becauseI've gotten notes like that, thinking
of you and I hope you're doing wellit's really, simple but very powerful.
Lauren (08:45):
Anything else?
Jon (08:47):
I agree with what Lynn just said, because reaching out to
people, is a great first step.
the other thing we could do, is whenwe meet someone and ask, how are you?
to look interested inknowing the answer to that.
rather than just saying, hi, how youdoing, and hoping people say fine and
(09:07):
move on if you really look open to hearhow are they truly, just like we did a
few minutes ago before we were on camera,really seriously interested in the other.
I think that's the wholesecret, of, mercy, and being
merciful, is having an interest.
(09:27):
Having, and then go beyondinterest to love eventually.
But let's say having at leastan interest in the other.
Someone who is not you.
Someone, perhaps, who'sestranged from you.
Or just someone you'velost track of over time.
So I think making contact is good.
we have these opportunities incasual encounters with people.
(09:49):
Surprising opportunities toreally connect with them and to
find out, how are they doing?
how often is it that if you feel listenedto, you feel so much better, you feel like
you're taking a step toward being healed?
Lauren (10:06):
I think listening to other people is probably the
greatest gift we can give them.
We can listen them into being theperson that they are to become.
deep listening is one of the thingsthat I think is, A gift that we all
can give, and we can give it freely.
Jon (10:25):
I think for our viewers and listeners, I'm wondering what
you think the word mercy means.
I'm wondering if you can think of timesin your own life where you have shown
mercy or have mercy shown to you insomething big or something very small.
And what can you do todayto show mercy to another?
I want to thank everyone for beingwith us in this conversation.
Lynn (10:48):
Take care.
Lauren (10:50):
Peace and blessings
..............Dolores: This episode on the Beatitudes has been brought
to you by listening for clues.
You can find us at ourwebsite listeningforclues.com,
on our YouTube channel or on justabout any audio podcast channel.
hope to see you soon.
Picture every act of kindness as a pebble dropped into a pond.
(00:04):
The ripples spread outwards andeventually return to where they began.
In one of his beatitudes, Jesus speaksabout being merciful this way...
. So let's join a conversation withour Good News team Lynn Shematek,
Lauren Welch and Jon Shematek.
Lauren (00:19):
Today, we're going to talk about the 5th Beatitude in Matthew's
Gospel, Blessed are the merciful, forthey shall have mercy shown to them.
Jon, what's the first thing thatcomes to mind when you hear merciful?
Jon (00:34):
the first thing that comes to mind when I hear merciful is that
maybe I've done something wrong.
And maybe somebody hasbeen kind to me about that.
Showing me mercy means they've Itmight be being forgiven, but I'm also
thinking that it just they are makingme feel okay about it, even though
(00:57):
I've done something that might'vebeen wrong or offensive in some way.
That's the first thingthat flies into my mind.
Lauren (01:05):
How about you, Lynn?
Lynn (01:07):
I often think of the, movies I used to see in the gladiators, and they'd
be, with the thumb up, and then putthe thumb down, I always thought, oh,
that's an interesting way of doing it.
But anyway, merciful issomething that I really work on.
I like to be merciful, because I hopepeople will be as merciful to me.
(01:32):
I recognize how many of the things I docould be taken as, irritant or, parts
of speech I might use inadvertently.
I hope people are merciful when they thinkabout what I'm saying and what I'm doing.
Lauren (01:46):
It sounds like it's really important that we understand ourselves.
and know how we might offend or, havesomeone show us mercy, if people show
us mercy, it makes us more willing,to have mercy for other people.
Jon (02:07):
a lot of times when I've done a small act of kindness like letting a car
get in ahead of me or someone With theirshopping cart get into the cashier I
think I'll let them in I sometimes think
Maybe someone will let me in thenext time maybe someone Be kind to
me because I've shown this littleact of kindness to someone else.
Lauren (02:28):
The disciples had a hard time figuring out how many times
they needed to be merciful, In theGospels, Peter asked Jesus, How many
times do I have to forgive my brother?
Seven times?
And Jesus seems to say,a lot more than that.
And even our enemies, even peoplethat we really don't like, and
(02:48):
that's when it gets harder, I think.
how do we begin to have mercy towardspeople who do horrendous things.
But how do we begin to have mercy withpeople who we just don't understand?
Lynn (03:08):
That's a great question.
I think that's very difficultbecause you're dealing with
the fear of the unknown.
we don't know the person, we don'tunderstand, this is terrible, this
person's done this, and it's awful.
it's very hard to get around that.
You have to realize that they're allhuman beings, they're all children of God.
(03:29):
maybe they have a problem andthey just can't express it So
that's a very difficult thing to
Jon (03:38):
Yeah, I absolutely agree it's difficult to do.
I'm wondering whether the firststep, might be having the intention.
We may not always have the ability,but having the intention to understand
the other person, we can neverknow how someone else is feeling.
(03:58):
we can't say that.
that's one of the most irritatingthings I hear is when someone
says, I know how you feel.
you don't know how I feel.
I don't know how you feel, but,can I begin to imagine what
that person is experiencing?
if I can begin to put myself intheir shoes, not to identify them
so much, but to get an inner senseof where they are, how are they
(04:23):
hurting, because they probably arehurting if they're doing something.
I'm thinking, you gave a great example,Lauren, from the scriptures about how
many times do we need to forgive someone.
When I was thinking about, Theword mercy, after you asked me the
first time, I thought about, wheredo we see that in the Gospels?
how many times do we hear someonecalling out to Jesus, have mercy on me.
(04:51):
I'm blind.
Have mercy on me.
My daughter's dying.
this desire, that the divine onewill enter that person's life and
help them move toward healing.
when Jesus came to, so manycircumstances of his healing ministries,
he felt compassion for the person.
He, which literally means heentered into their suffering,
(05:14):
he was suffering with them.
he was perfect, he could do that.
we're not quite that good.
It takes practice, just like everything.
if we can, begin to cultivate a feelingof compassion a step in that direction
is what you were saying, Lynn, is torecognize that we're all children of
God, and siblings together in thatsituation, then maybe we'll find it
(05:37):
possible to be a little bit compassionate,understanding, kind, even to someone
who is In our judgment, really awfulpeople, if they're doing bad things, I
think it is possible to show them mercy.
Not easy, but possible.
Lauren (05:56):
I agree with you, Jon.
Along with what you're saying aboutputting ourselves in their shoes, we
can get to know them a little betterby, asking where they're hurting,
What is most important to them?
getting to know about theirfamily, their circumstances.
if we start by getting to know them.
(06:16):
then I think compassion comes alittle easier sometimes if we begin to
talk about things we have in common.
We may develop a relationship.
In relationship, you can show mercy.
(06:37):
We might be able to show mercy, more oftenif we're in relationship with people.
Jesus actually got to knowpeople pretty quickly.
the Centurion who came to him,he saw him for who he was It's
being present to that person.
That's hard when you don't likesomeone . When you like someone,
(07:01):
it's not so hard, but when you don'tlike someone, it's hard to be present
Jon (07:07):
I've always thought of Jesus, as having the most highly developed sense of
intuition of any human being that's everwalked on this earth he would ask people
what they needed but he knew in his heart.
what they needed.
So I think that, he's pretty goodexample for us in terms of what it,
what we can do to be merciful to others.
Lauren (07:30):
He was merciful from the cross,
Jon (07:34):
Yes.
Lauren (07:34):
from the beginning, throughout all of his ministry, he was merciful
to people by loving them, and I thinkbecause of his great love for the divine.
And if we understand howmuch the divine loves us.
Then, we can extend that and know thatthe divine allows other people, if we
(07:56):
really do know that we are all childrenof God, we are siblings of one another.
So what can we do?
How can we begin to cultivate this mercytowards others, what are small things
that we can do with someone that wehaven't seen for a while, or someone
(08:21):
that has a need that we could fulfill?
What are some small things we can do?
Lynn (08:27):
But one of the most important things is contact, communication
Between people.
write an email or, senda text or something.
Just say, thinking of you, becauseI've gotten notes like that, thinking
of you and I hope you're doing wellit's really, simple but very powerful.
Lauren (08:45):
Anything else?
Jon (08:47):
I agree with what Lynn just said, because reaching out to
people, is a great first step.
the other thing we could do, is whenwe meet someone and ask, how are you?
to look interested inknowing the answer to that.
rather than just saying, hi, how youdoing, and hoping people say fine and
(09:07):
move on if you really look open to hearhow are they truly, just like we did a
few minutes ago before we were on camera,really seriously interested in the other.
I think that's the wholesecret, of, mercy, and being
merciful, is having an interest.
(09:27):
Having, and then go beyondinterest to love eventually.
But let's say having at leastan interest in the other.
Someone who is not you.
Someone, perhaps, who'sestranged from you.
Or just someone you'velost track of over time.
So I think making contact is good.
we have these opportunities incasual encounters with people.
(09:49):
Surprising opportunities toreally connect with them and to
find out, how are they doing?
how often is it that if you feel listenedto, you feel so much better, you feel like
you're taking a step toward being healed?
Lauren (10:06):
I think listening to other people is probably the
greatest gift we can give them.
We can listen them into being theperson that they are to become.
deep listening is one of the thingsthat I think is, A gift that we all
can give, and we can give it freely.
Jon (10:25):
I think for our viewers and listeners, I'm wondering what
you think the word mercy means.
I'm wondering if you can think of timesin your own life where you have shown
mercy or have mercy shown to you insomething big or something very small.
And what can you do todayto show mercy to another?
I want to thank everyone for beingwith us in this conversation.
Lynn (10:48):
Take care.
Lauren (10:50):
Peace and blessings
..............Dolores: This episode on the Beatitudes has been brought
to you by listening for clues.
You can find us at ourwebsite listeningforclues.com,
on our YouTube channel or on justabout any audio podcast channel.
hope to see you soon.
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.