| Lead us not into Temptation
I have to admit that this petition in the Lord’s Prayer has always been difficult for me. Since childhood, I have wrestled with this petition. It seems that if we have to pray for God not to lead us into temptation, then there must be a time when God did lead us into temptation. That’s the way it works in our lives, right? When I dropped my children off at school, they often said, “Don’t forget to pick us up.” I never forgot to pick them up. Well, I might have forgotten one time. That’s all it takes: one time of failing, one slip, and for the rest of your children’s childhood, you are treated as a serial negligent parent.
God leads no one in temptation. He does not cause us to fall or stumble in our faith. James 1:13. We have three options as we dig into this petition. We can run away from the statement. You know, ignore the statement and pretend that it doesn’t exist. We can explain away the statement. I hate to say it, but I think that’s what Luther does in the Small Catechism. He says,
God indeed tempts no one to sin; but we pray in this petition that God would so guard and preserve us that the devil, the world, and our flesh may not deceive us nor lead us into error and unbelief, despair, and other great and shameful sins; and that, though we may be thus tempted, we may nevertheless finally prevail and gain the victory. – Martin Luther
Notice that Luther quickly pivoted away from explaining the point to redefining the point. It is almost like Luther said, “Jesus really didn’t say…” I know that Luther believed the Word of God to be faithful and fully inspired. Perhaps he offered a cursory explanation because the answer would be too deep for junior confirmands.
Let's embark on a collective journey of understanding this Sunday. Together, we'll lean into the petition and gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. We look forward to your presence as we ponder the statement, “Lead Us Not Into Temptation.” |
Join us this summer for LIFT (Living in Faith Together). We will meet for 4 intergenerational experiences as we explore the Psalms. Research shows students who develop meaningful intergenerational relationships have a higher likelihood of sticking with their faith after high school. We all have a part to play in passing the faith on to the next generation.
Friends in Deed, an organization dedicated to helping those in need and building community to end poverty, be doing another Over the Edge, on Friday and Saturday, August 16th and 17th, a group of 100 brave souls will be rappelling 11 stories off the roof of Hill Hall on the Eastern Michigan University campus.
