Paul McKenzie

Memory Verse, Monday, January 26, Matthew 5:1

"And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:"

I have been praying for the last week, wondering which way I should go in my morning devotions. Last night I was drawn to Psalm 51, which is believed to be the Psalm he wrote after repenting of his sin with Bathsheba.

I think that this will be the next Old Testament passage I intend to memorize, Lord willing. I've mentioned several times that it was verse 4 of this passage that the Holy Spirit used to heal me from a very dark period of my life.

"Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight:"

It was the realization that I stand alone before God. There is no one to blame for my sinfulness but myself alone. Knowing this eliminated the blame game and I stood without excuse. But it was verse 17 that drew me to the desire to re-visit the Sermon on the Mount once more, so I will be contemplating this as I get through the coldness of this very cold winter. In a few days I will explain why verse 17 led me to this decision. It would be worthwhile to read through Psalm 51 before you read the Sermon on the Mount. I get the feeling that I will be weaving that Psalm in and out of my meditations.

And this morning, I start with the introductory verse. I'll be using the KJV for the Sermon, because I have it memorized in that version. For me, it is an old friend. It is one that I did not remember through songs, but through performing it in different venues. So I learned it with much "blocking" and physical motions.

Except for the Beatitudes. Years ago, my friend Mike Goshorn put it to music, nearly word for word. It was done beautifully. Thanks Mike. After 50 years, I never forgot your song, nor the Beatitudes because of it.

Here in verse one I couldn't help but muse a little. I see Jesus looking out at the multitudes. After thirty years of preparation, His ministry was in full swing. He was baptized as our representative, willing to take the sins of the world upon Himself. He had recently completed a great trial in the wilderness, and overcame the same temptation of Adam, being tempted by the devil with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. He was calling His disciples.

Then He established His ministry: "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease." (Matthew 4:23) It was time.

I wonder if He thought while "seeing the multitudes" the same thing that was written later in the ninth chapter of Matthew: "But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd." (9:36)

Then I think of the passage from John 6:27 "Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed." He was about to give them some of the meat.

And then in verse 40: "And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."

And out of the multitudes, "His disciples came unto him, and he taught them." This reminded me of Luke 17:17-19, just after He healed ten lepers, and only one returned to thank Him: "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole."

Ten tasted, and only one saw. And he alone was made whole, not only in body, but in soul.

Multitudes and multitudes, all going their own way. But "his disciples", with eyes opened by the Holy Spirit, "came unto him."

Are your eyes being opened? Come to Him today and be completely whole.

Today if you hear His voice, harden not your heart.

*KJV used unless noted*

Memory Helps

"And seeing the multitudes,
he went up into a mountain:
and when he was set,
his disciples came unto him:"

A simple word picture. As you recite, see what you are saying.

To establish a link between the verse and the verse numbers, I use a "Mat" to represent "Matthew". I picture a big green "wrestling" mat that I used when I was in High School both for wrestling and "floor exercise" in Gymnastics.

For chapter 5, I am using a "five-fingered" hand, which will be prominent in my word pictures. For verses 1 I always have the same "memory character", which for me happens to be the actor "Mr. T", since "T" represents the number one in the phonetic alphabet I learned from Harry Lorayne's "Memory book" years ago, and adapted for my own use.

So, I put Mr. T in the group of disciples. Jesus is raising His "Hand" as He "was set". There is a big green wrestling mat there for "his disciples" to sit on as the "came unto him". That way I remember the contents of Matthew 5:1.