Lead Us Not Into Temptation”
As another day gets underway, we have before us countless choices to make. What should we wear? What shall we eat for breakfast? Should we try to squeeze past that yellow traffic light during our daily commute? Choices: our lives are shaped by them.
Yet, not all choices are as simple as deciding what to eat for breakfast or which socks to wear. Many of the choices we make are ethical in nature. How shall we treat that co-worker with whom it is difficult to work? Should we allow our insecurity to keep us from complimenting someone? When we have a disagreement with our spouse, will we show empathy or will we act passive aggressively? And the list goes on.
Of course, the right choice is not always the easy choice. The appeal to act in one’s own self-interest can be strong. The Bible calls the allure to act in our own self-interest “temptation.” In addition, sin makes resisting temptation more challenging; it is not easy. This is why Jesus instructs us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation…” in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). We might think of this as a preventative request. We ask God to prevent us from acquiescing to the temptation to sin, no matter how enticing the temptation might be.
Typically, discussion about sin centers on what happens after it is committed, not before. At church, we confess our past sins “against God and our neighbor,” and we hear the wonderful proclamation that those sins are forgiven. This is all good. However, when we pray, “Lead us not into temptation,” our minds shift toward the future—to the myriad of unforeseen moral choices that we inevitably encounter.
The request that God “lead us not into temptation” also implies a powerful truth. It acknowledges that God intervenes in the presence of our lives. He is there with us when we are tempted. Martin Luther says this petition urges, “God would guard and keep us, so that the devil, the world, and our flesh may not deceive us...” (Martin Luther, The Small Catechism) Luther’s point is we are not alone—Jesus is here to “guard and keep us.” What is more, Jesus knows something about temptation having been tempted himself (Matthew 4). This enables Him to understand our plight and to “sympathize with our weaknesses.” (Hebrews 4:15)
It is hard to predict the unique challenges that we will face today, but we do know that we will be tempted—that’s a given. So, why not invite God to intervene? Let’s ask Him to break into those moments when we feel the weakest. Let’s ask for His help to pursue a better way—the way of justice, goodness and truth. And, as we do this, remember that He will be there to “guard and keep us.”
