The Lord’s Prayer: “Lead
us not into temptation but deliver us from evil”
1.
One of the most puzzling pieces of the Lord’s
Prayer
“Far be the thought that the Lord should
seem to tempt as if he were either ignorant of [the limits] of someone’s faith,
or else eager to overthrow [that faith].”
--Tertullian
(AD 192)
2.
James 1.13
Let
no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be
tempted by evil, and he himself does not tempt anyone.
3.
The Greek word for temptation has a range of
meaning…
a.
James 1.2: “trials”
b.
James 1.12: “trial”
c.
James 1.13-14: “tempted”
4.
So, maybe it means… “Lead us not into testing…”; but this doesn’t seem to
make sense in light of Matthew 4.1:
Then
Jesus was led up by the Spirit into
the wilderness to be tempted by the
devil.
5.
God does test
his children…including his Son, Jesus!
6.
God’s goals and Satan’s goals in
testing/temptation are different!
a.
God tests us to show us what is in our hearts
and to do good for us: Deuteronomy 8.2, 16
i. Jesus
quotes Deuteronomy 8.3 in Matthew 4.4 in his resistance to the devil’s
temptations
b.
Satan tempts us so that we will fall into
rebellion against God
i. The
devil is called the “tempter” in Matthew 4.3
ii. The
devil is seeking to subvert God’s plans; not help Jesus!
7.
Main issue: Asking God not to lead into areas of
testing in which we will fail and be overcome by the enemy
8.
Seems to be confirmed by the second half of
petition: “deliver us from evil”
a.
Can be translated: “deliver us from the evil
one”
b.
Greek preposition “from” is mainly used of
persons[1]
c.
Matthew’s first mention of “temptation” in
4.1-11 is closely tied to the devil
9.
The last three requests of the Lord’s Prayer
presuppose something about us, the praying people…
10. Some
perspectives on when we are tempted to sin:
a.
First, when we are tempted to sin we should not
blame God: James 1.13
b.
We should recognize that temptation is common to
us all and that God faithfully helps us: 1 Corinthians 10.13
c.
Jesus has been tempted in all things and yet did
not sin. He can sympathize with
our weakness: Hebrews 4.14-16
11. Some
perspectives on being delivered from evil:
a.
Issue: God’s providential guiding of our life
b.
Not simply: “Let go and let God”
c.
We are engaged in prayer in asking the Father
for safety
i. Acts
12.1-5 and then see verses 6-19
ii. Ezra
8.21-23
d.
God’s providences of deliverance works in and
through our prayers
i. Philippians
1.19
ii. 2
Corinthians 1.8-11 (esp. v. 11)
iii. Romans
15.30-31
[1]
“’[D]eliver us’ can take either the preposition ek (“from”) or apo
(“from”), the former always introducing things from which to be delivered, the
latter being used predominately of persons.” D. A. Carson, “Matthew” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary—vol. 8 [ed. Frank E. Gaebelein;
Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1984), 174.
