In our final session of the Lord's Prayer series we will be taking a look at the last piece of the Lord's Prayer that asks us to consider temptation. Temptation as it turns out is something uniquely human. Animals and the Angels might be able to pray but when they do deliverance from temptation is not what is on their minds. Humanity is where temptation resides and it is a purely human experience. Yet despite the location of temptation resting fully within humanity, we often struggle with an understanding of temptation and the role God plays in it. The Book of James tells us that God plays no role in producing temptation for humanity rather the genesis of temptation lies in our own desires. We, in a way, are tempting our own selves with the fruits of our own creation.
But before we go any further we should figure out what is it we are talking about here when we use words like Temptation and trials. The more familiar King James Version of the Bible has taught us to think of this prayer in terms of Temptation rather than the more modern translation of Trials. But what is a trial? Like the young Baseball prospect at tryouts who must field short-hop grounders and hit a 12-6 Curve ball we come into these trials with an opportunity to fail or to prevail but like a road that forks, each path is often likely. But the reality is that if we only think of these trials as big-ticket items like the one attempt our prospect has to make a big, first impression we do ourselves a disservice.
Trials are there everyday and the way in which we respond to them helps shape our character for better or worse. We may be prepared to resist the urges of the "headline" sins but it is the daily grind where we encounter opportunities to show humility over pride, contentment over envy, and whatever the opposite of greed is. The way in which we respond when the checkout clerk gives us change for a $20 rather than the $10 we actually gave her will present itself countless more times than the trial of whether or not to commit homicide yet we might say, "I haven't killed anyone so I must be doing something right." One of the ways that we see this played out is in the story of Jesus in the Wilderness. Facing temptation and trial unlike any of us have ever experienced Jesus doesn't just resist the urge to become ruler over all things but also resists the urge to give in to something that might seem trivial like eating. Jesus presents for us a model where we seek to recognize that trials and temptations come in all shapes and sizes and not just the "rule the world" variety.
Given the daily nature of trials it should be accepted that we will all at some point be walking down a road and come to a fork - an intersection of decision - and for whatever reason we take the more difficult path. Perhaps we had a good reason, or perhaps it was because we were forced but at some point we will put ourselves in a place where the temptations and the trials will be more aggressive and frequent. It is at this point that I think we can lean into the words of the prayer. Notice that this section has a second part: deliver us from evil.
If the 1st section of the prayer tells us that testing is a part of human life, the 2nd part tells us that during those times of testing and trial we can be helped and God can be counted on. The second section of our prayer gives us the sense that God is not "hands off" during these times and rather than seeing how all of this "turns out" God is present and able to effect change and be counted on yet because we so rarely do a good job of recognizing our tests we rarely come to God in the midst of them. I will sum this up with a story of Daniel Boone, the American frontiersmen.
The legend has it that at some point during Boone's wilderness adventures he came upon a hungry bear. Finding himself in a bad place, Boone begins to pray, saying to God, "if you cannot help me, please do not help that bear." I think that sums up the idea of the second section. God did not create the temptation but if we are able to see ourselves in the middle of it God is able to help us avoid the pitfalls.
See you tonight!
Peace, Brett
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