And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. -Matthew 6:13 God does not lead us into temptation, for he does not tempt people to do evil (James 1:13). The Greek word translated for temptation does not mean enticement to do evil but testing. Sometimes God allows his people to be tested by temptation. But this testing is never without a purpose: God is always working to refine his people, teach them to depend on him, and strengthen their character to be more like him. How he does this differs in every persons life. Why would Jesus encourage us to ask God to avoid tempting us? There are some interesting parallels between this prayer and Jesus prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46). The Lords Prayer affirms the will of God (your will be done), then asks for relief and delivery from trials. In the garden, Jesus asked the Father to remove the cup of trial while immediately declaring his willingness to cooperate with his Fathers will. Soon after, when Jesus discovered the disciples asleep, he encouraged them to pray not to fall into temptation. Jesus knew, however, that they would indeed fall and fail within moments. The end of the Lords Prayer reminds us of the importance of testing, even though we seldom desire it. Jesus both taught and modeled a freedom in prayer that dared to ask almost anything, fully knowing that the Father will do what is best. Jesus wanted his followers to place their trust in God during trying times and to pray for deliverance from Satan (the evil one) and his deceit. All Christians struggle with temptation. Sometimes it is so subtle that we do not even recognize what is happening to us. God has promised that he will always give us a right way out of every temptation so we will not be overtaken (1 Corinthians 10:13). Believers who pray these words realize their sinful nature and their need to depend on God in the face of temptation. Some scholars suggest that these words may also include prayer regarding the coming final conflict between God and Satan. If so, the believers prayers are that they may be spared from the trials surrounding it. This doxology (hymn or verse glorifying God) does not appear in most ancient manuscripts, nor does it appear in Lukes version of this prayer (Luke 11:2-4), leading scholars to conclude that it was not in the original text. The early church, when using this prayer, may have added this closing sentence of praise.
Posted on: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 06:00:40 +0000
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