No. 25E Lord's Prayer 5

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Matthew 6:13

Listen to what He tells us to say with astonishment. Would God, our blessed Father, Creator and lover of humankind lead us to destruction? Would He test us with temptation?

I hear a stadium-full of angels in unison shouting “Yes, He would! He does!” after a pause they continue “Ask Him not to do that.”

Cringing, the Christ recalls His 40 days in the wilderness, when He was tempted by the devil to turn stones into bread; to fling himself from the mountaintop and to show-off as the angels lift Him to safety. When the devil failed to appeal to His flesh or find any vanity, he thought surely the condescended Son of God could be lured by power and offered the kingdoms of the world.

With fresh memories of His victories, Jesus instructs us to ask God not to lead us into temptation, to test, or try our souls (lest we fail because of our weakness, or ignorance.)

If only God would yank us from the grasp of the devil who would have that we abandon the Lord with our distrust; if only God would remove the dangers we face daily, then surely we could survive this earthly life.

It doesn’t hurt to ask. Who knows, maybe our Father replies with a resounding, “Yes.” every time we pray the Lord’s prayer, and we don’t realize it.

When He does leads us into punishment, evil, temptation, think about why that was just. The back-up is to ask for mercy.

Ask:Receive