Lead Us Not Into Temptation
We continue in our reflections on the Lord’s Prayer…
The first Christians knew that when they signed on with Jesus it was for life. They enlisted in a life-long battle with evil. Armed with the Good News of a new Kingdom, they knew a revolution was underway. These revolutionaries, followers of Jesus, would topple the greatest empire of their day, Rome. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper were the symbolic actions [PJ1] of enlisting in this revolution. Sacrifice is what they signed up for. Victory came from sacrifice. [PJ2]
Alas! How far we’ve been, O Lord, from this all-demanding engagement with evil!
When the Spirit drove [PJ3] Jesus into the desert to be tempted by the devil, he knew he was waging war against evil. Ringing in Jesus’ ears was an old Jewish sage’s [PJ4] words, Ben Sira, “My child, if you come to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for testing.” The Christian life is no different than what Jesus experienced the Spirit doing in his own life. God tests to promote and increase our faith. Satan tempts to lead us astray from the faith.
Without Jesus, I have come to see the Christian life [PJ5] is impossible alone. Fighting within, fears without, the Word says. We cry out “O Lord, I’m here. Without you I can’t do it.” The operating system running in the soul of every Jesus follower is the algorithm h.e.l.p. Yes! Help shows the dependence we need to do life with God. Even when you upgrade it, h.e.l.p. never gets updated!
Jesus faced this testing and overcame temptation. He gifts us with the means he used. By prayer, he shows how we need God to test our faith without allowing the devil the victory when he tempts us.
It is worth repeating James’ assertion, “God does not tempt us.” (1:13) The outcome of tempting is evil because the one who tempts intends nothing but evil. The intent and outcome of testing are goodness because the one who tests is all good. So, what do we mean when we pray, “lead us not into the test?
1. We pray for escape from the great tribulation, the great testing coming upon the whole world. Jesus anticipates times when his church will face great trials. I have wondered lately, are we in a testing time? If so, it makes this prayer all the more urgent. Turmoil is roiling churches and society. The church is pressured. Hurt and uncertainty are everywhere.
2. We pray, Lord do not let us be tested beyond what we are able to bear. I am so glad, Spirit of God, you inspired your apostle to say, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor 10:13). This promise is gold. It fits hand in glove with the Lord’s Prayer! By praying the Lord’s Prayer [PJ6] , we make a daily deposit into our individual and corporate faith accounts.
3. Celine Dion’s and Josh Groban’s words ring true in The Prayer: “Lead us to a place, Guide by your grace. To a place where we’ll be safe.” We add, “Enable us by your grace, Lord, to pass safely through this testing you are leading us into. Make us instruments of your peace, vessels of your love, reservoirs of your hope.”
Followers of Jesus are not immune to testing or [PJ7] tempting. But we have “a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins. And sinners [saints, too] plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.” Jesus is our miracle in times of testing. He has gone before us; he remains with us. By his grace we enter the test with courage, without fear.