GOD DOES NOT LEAD US INTO TEMPTATION BUT AWAY FROM IT!
Matthew 6:7-13; James 1:13-15
Rev. Paul Wrightman
ADVENT IS THE SEASON OF THE CHURCH YEAR
WHEN WE PREPARE TO CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF JESUS.
A GOOD WAY TO PREPARE FOR THE COMING OF JESUS
AT CHRISTMAS IS TO DIVE DEEPER INTO HIS MOST IMPORTANT
TEACHINGS, MANY OF WHICH ARE TO BE FOUND
IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT.
TODAY WE CONCLUDE OUR STUDY OF THE LORD’S PRAYER,
LOCATED AT THE VERY CENTER, THE VERY HEART, OF THIS SERMON.
TODAY WE WRESTLE WITH THE THIRD, AND FINAL,
PETITION THAT CONCERNS HUMAN NEEDS:
LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
THIS PETITION HAS LONG BEEN A PROBLEM FOR ME.
MY PROBLEM WITH IT STARTED WHEN I WAS
IN THE SEVENTH GRADE, IN A LUTHERAN CONFIRMATION CLASS.
I ASKED THE PASTOR, WHO TAUGHT THE CLASS,
WHY A LOVING GOD WOULD LEAD US INTO TEMPTATION,
OF ALL THINGS, AND WAS TOLD TO SHUT UP,
NOT TO ASK POINTLESS QUESTIONS, AND TO MEMORIZE
MARTIN LUTHER’S ANWERS TO MARTIN LUTHER’S QUESTIONS
IN MARTIN LUTHER’S SMALL CATECHISM.
PERHAPS EACH OF US, ON STEPPING BACK
AND TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT WHAT WE’RE ACTUALLY
ASKING FOR IN THIS PRAYER, HAVE ASKED THE SAME QUESTION:
WHY WOULD A LOVING GOD LEAD US INTO TEMPTATION?
THE ANSWER IS THAT GOD WOULD NOT.
JAMES, THE BROTHER OF JESUS, MAKES THIS ABSOLUTELY CLEAR
WHEN HE STATES: WHEN TEMPTED, NO ONE SHOULD SAY,
CREATOR IS TEMPTING ME.
THE NUANCE OF THE GREEK VERB USUALLY TRANSLATED AS “LEAD” IN THIS PETITION MEANS “TO ALLOW.”
TWO MAJOR THEOLOGIANS WRITING IN THE 200’S,
TERTULLIAN AND CYPRIAN OF CARTHAGE, WERE ON
THE RIGHT TRACK WHEN THEY PROPOSED THE TRANSLATION
“DO NOT ALLOW US TO BE LED INTO TEMPTATION,”
AS THE BEST WAY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT JESUS
WAS SAYING IN THIS PETITION.
IN THE CONTEXT OF “ALLOW,”
LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION
BECOMES A PRAYER FOR GOD’S PROTECTION
AND GOD’S GUIDANCE ALONG THE JOURNEY WHICH IS LIFE.
# # #
ON AUTUMN NIGHTS, AS WE SLEEP PEACEFULLY IN OUR BEDS,
MILLIONS OF SONGBIRDS ARE QUIETLY TRAVELING UNDER COVER
OF DARKNESS, HEADING SOUTH FOR WARMER WEATHER.
TAKE BALTIMORE ORIOLES, FOR EXAMPLE.
EVERY FALL, THEY PACK THEIR BAGS, CLOSE UP THEIR HOMES,
LEAVE THE KEY UNDER THE MAT, AND HEAD SOUTH.
IT’S THE WEATHER PATTERNS THAT TELL THE BIRDS
THAT IT’S TIME TO MOVE.
“AS COLD FRONTS MOVE ACROSS EASTERN NORTH AMERICA,”
WROTE ONE EXPERT, “THEY’RE SENDING WAVES OF ORIOLES,
ALONG WITH WARBLERS AND OTHER SONGBIRDS,
ON THEIR WAY TO WINTERING GROUNDS IN MEXICO
AND LATIN AMERICA.”
AS COLD FRONTS PASS, CLEAR SKIES AND NORTH WINDS
USUALLY FOLLOW.
THESE CONDITIONS ARE IDEAL FOR MIGRATION,
ALLOWING THE BIRDS TO TRAVEL WITH LITTLE RISK OF STORMS,
THE WIND AT THEIR BACKS, AND A CLEARS VIEW OF THE STARS
TO HELP THEM FIND THEIR WAY.
THEY FLY OVER THOUSANDS OF HOUSES AND HIGHWAYS,
SHOPPING CENTERS, AND PARKING LOTS,
PASSING STATE AFTER STATE.
IF A PARTICULAR ORIOLE OPTS FOR A DIRECT FLIGHT HOME,
THE CROSSING IS OVER SIX HUNDRED MILES OF OPEN WATER.
THE ENTIRE TRIP FROM, SAY, BALTIMORE TO MEXICO,
PANAMA, OR COSTA RICA TAKES ABOUT TWO WEEKS.
BUT THE ORIOLE KNOWS EXACTLY WHERE IT IS GOING.
THROUGH GOD’S SPIRIT WORKING IN EVOLUTION,
GOD PLANTED WITHIN THE ORIOLE’S BRAIN
A PERFECT GUIDANCE SYSTEM THAT TELLS IT
EXACTLY WHERE TO GO, AND WHEN, AND HOW.
# # #
JESUS SPOKE THE COMFORTING WORDS:
“ARE NOT FIVE SPARROWS SOLD FOR TWO PENNIES?
YET NOT ONE OF THEM IS FORGOTTEN IN GOD’S SIGHT.
DO NOT BE AFRAID, YOU ARE OF MORE VALUE
THAN MANY SPARROWS.” (Luke 12:6-7)
IF GOD IS PLEASED TO GUIDE THE BIRDS IN THEIR MIGRATIONS,
IT’S A SAFE BET THAT GOD ALSO WANTS TO HELP GUIDE OUR LIVES.
RETURNING TO OUR PETITION FROM THE LORD’S PRAYER,
LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
MANY LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS RENDER THIS
ALONG THE LINES OF DO NOT LEAD US TO THE TIME OF TRIAL.
YOU CAN SEE WHY I MUCH PREFER THE SENSE TRANSLATION
OF THE FIRST NATIONS VERSION:
GUIDE US AWAY FROM THE THINGS THAT TEMPT US
TO STRAY FROM YOUR GOOD ROAD.
WHILE THE GREEK CAN EQUALLY MEAN “TEMPTATION”
OR “TRIAL” IN THE SENSE OF “TEST,”
I WOULD CHOOSE “TEMPTATION” OVER “TRIAL”
BECAUSE “TEMPTATION” CONNECTS US WITH
THE TEMPTATIONS THAT JESUS HIMSELF EXPERIENCED.
I THINK THAT ONE OF JESUS’ MAIN OBJECTIVES
IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT IN GENERAL
AND IN THE LORD’S PRAYER IN PARTICULAR WAS FOR US
TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT OUR LIVES WITH HIS LIFE.
THE WORD “TEMPTATION” MAKES THIS CONNECTION
BETTER THAN THE WORD “TRIAL.”
SO IF WE’RE GOING TO BE LITERAL ABOUT IT,
I WOULD ARGUE FOR TRANSLATING THE FIRST HALF
OF THIS PETITION AS DO NOT ALLOW US TO BE LED
INTO TEMPTATION.
BUT I STILL PREFER THE FIRST NATION VERSION’S
SENSE TRANSLATION: GUIDE US AWAY FROM THE THINGS
THAT TEMPT US TO STRAY FROM YOUR GOOD ROAD.
CONCERNING THE SECOND HALF OF TODAY’S PETITION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL,
MANY CONTEMPORARY LITERAL ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS
RENDER THIS AS SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF
RESCUE US FROM THE EVIL ONE.
THIS IS LITERALLY CORRECT.
THE EVIL ONE, FOR JESUS, AS FOR ALL FIRST CENTURY
JEWISH PERSONS, REFERS TO THE BEING WE KNOW AS
THE “DEVIL,” OR “SATAN,” AS A PERSONAL FORCE OF EVIL
OPPOSED TO GOD AND INTENT ON THE DESTRUCTION
OF GOD’S GOOD CREATION.
MANY CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIANS HAVE TROUBLE
BUYING INTO A PERSONAL FORCE OF EVIL,
PREFERRING TO SEE THIS FIRST-CENTURY BELIEF HELD BY JESUS
AS PART OF THE HUMAN LIMITATIONS IN HIS BECOMING
A REAL PERSON IN A REAL TIME AND PLACE.
MOST THEOLOGICAL MODERATES ARGUE THAT IT DOESN’T
MUCH MATTER IF WE BELIEVE IN A PERSONAL “SATAN” OR NOT;
WHAT DOES MATTER IS HOW SERIOUSLY WE ACKNOWLEDGE
THE REALITY OF EVIL IN OUR WORLD AND THAT, LIKE JESUS,
WE DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO COUNTER
THE POWER OF EVIL AS WE ENCOUNTER IT.
SINCE THE MORE GENERAL TRANSLATION “EVIL”
CAN INCLUDE THE MORE PARTICULAR “EVIL ONE,”
I SUGGEST THE BROADER TERM “EVIL”
AS THE MORE INCLUSIVE TRANSLATION.
# # #
AS WE HAVE SEEN IN ALL THE OTHER PETITIONS
OF THE LORD’S PRAYER, THERE IS A SPECIFIC, OR PRIMARY MEANING
FOR JESUS, TO WHICH NUMEROUS SECONDARY MEANINGS
HAVE BEEN ATTACHED BY HIS FOLLOWERS.
I FIND IT FASCINATING TO TRY TO GET TO THE ORIGINAL MEANING
FOR JESUS HIMSELF, BECAUSE I HAVE A DEEP DESIRE TO DISCOVER
WHAT THIS PERSON WHOM I ATTEMPT TO PATTERN
MY OWN LIFE AFTER REALLY CARED ABOUT –
WHAT MADE HIM “TICK,” SO TO SPEAK.
LIKE MOST OF US AT COMMUNITY CHURCH,
I LIKE TO ASK QUESTIONS, I LIKE TO CHALLENGE AUTHORITY,
AND I LIKE TO KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS
AND TO KEEP CHALLENGING AUTHORITY
UNTIL I FEEL THAT I’VE GOTTEN TO,
OR AT LEAST GOTTEN CLOSE TO, THE HEART OF THE MATTER.
I’M NOT THE KIND OF PERSON WHO IS SATISFIED WITH
MEMORIZING THE SO-CALLED “RIGHT” QUESTIONS AND THEIR
SO-CALLED “RIGHT” ANSWERS FROM ANYONE’S CATECHISM.
THE QUESTION AT HAND IS, “WAS THERE ANYTHING SPECIFIC
ON JESUS’ HEART WHEN HE TAUGHT US TO PRAY
LEAD US AWAY FROM TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL?
WAS THERE A SPECIFIC TEMPTATION, A SPECIFIC EXPRESSION
OF EVIL THAT JESUS HAD IN MIND
WHEN HE TAUGHT US TO PRAY THIS WAY?
SOME OF TODAY’S LEADING NEW TESTAMENT SCHOLARS
ARGUE THAT THERE IS.
THEY MAKE A STRONG CONNECTION BETWEEN
JESUS’ OWN EXPERIENCE OF TEMPTATION
AND HIS MENTION OF TEMPTATION
IN THIS PETITION OF THE LORD’S PRAYER.
IN PARTICULAR, THEY ARGUE THAT HIS THIRD, AND CLIMACTIC,
TEMPTATION BY EVIL – THE TEMPTATION TO BE GIVEN
ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD AS A REWARD FOR
RENOUNCING GOD –
WAS AT THE FOREFRONT OF HIS HEART AND MIND
IN THIS PETITION FOR US NOT TO BE ALLOWED
TO BE LED INTO TEMPTATION.
IN THIS CONTEXT, THE SPECIFIC MEANING THAT JESUS HAD IN MIND
WOULD RUN ALONG THE LINES OF
“PRAY THAT YOU NOT CAVE IN TO THE TEMPTATION
TO FOLLOW THE WAYS OF THE KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD –
THE WAYS IF INJUSTICE AND VIOLENCE;
PRAY THAT YOU REMAIN FAITHFUL TO THE WAYS
OF GOD’S KINGDOM, THE WAYS OF JUSTICE AND PEACE AND LOVE.”
IF I HAD TO STATE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
THAT I HAVE LEARNED IN PREPARING THIS SERIES OF SERMONS
ON THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT,
IT WOULD BE THE FACT THAT – FOR JESUS –
RELIGION IS NOT PRIMARILY A MATTER OF “ME AND MY GOD.”
INSTEAD, FOR JESUS, RELIGION CONCERNS, FIRST OF ALL,
THE NETWORK OF RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ME AND MY NEIGHBOR.
FOR JESUS, THE QUALITY OF THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN
ME AND MY NEIGHBOR PRETTY MUCH SETTLES
THE QUALITY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ME AND MY GOD.
AT THIS POINT, LET’S GET PRACTICAL.
LET’S FACE THE FACT THAT EACH OF US IN THIS SANCTUARY –
AS HAS EVERY PERSON WHO HAS EVER LIVED
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF JESUS – HAS, INDEED, GIVEN IN
TO TEMPTATION, NOT JUST ONCE, BUT MANY TIMES.
WE HAVE ALL HURT OTHERS,
WE HAVE ALL HURT OURSELVES,
AND WE HAVE ALL HURT OUR WORLD.
WE HAVE NOT CONSISTENTLY ACTED WITH JUSTICE, PEACE, AND LOVE
TOWARD OURSELVES, TOWARD OTHERS, OR TOWARD OUR WORLD.
WE NEED TO REPLACE OUR PATTERN OF DESTRUCTIVENESS
TOWARD SELF, OTHERS, AND WORLD WITH A PATTERN
OF WHOLENESS AND HEALING.
THIS PATTERN OF WHOLENESS AND HEALING CAN BE FOUND
IN THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF JESUS.
THE FOLLOWING STORY FROM GLEN STASSEN,
PROFESSOR OF CHRISTIAN ETHICS
AT FULLER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN PASADENA,
POWERFULLY DESCRIBES THE IMPORTANCE OF REPLACING
DESTRUCTIVE PATTERNS WITH HEALING PATTERNS.
PROFESSOR STASSEN WRITES:
“A FEW YEARS AGO, I SPENT SOME TIME HELPING IN THE NURSERY
DURING SUNDAY SCHOOL AND THE CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE.
A FOUR-YEAR-OLD BOY WITH BRAIN DAMAGE COULD NOT RESIST
THE TEMPTATION TO CREATE SOME EXCITEMENT
REPEATEDLY GRABBING ANOTHER CHILD’S HAIR
WITH BOTH HANDS AND PULLING.
THE OTHER CHILD WOULD SCREAM;
THE TEACHER WOULD RUSH OVER,
QUICKLY GET THE CHILD RELEASED,
AND THEN SCOLD THE BOY.
THE EXCITEMENT WAS SUDDEN AND DRAMATIC.
MY JOB WAS TO TEACH THE BOY NOT TO DO THIS.
I TRIED PUNISHMENT BY SITTING HIM IN A CHAIR IN THE CORNER,
BUT THEN HE CRIED AND THIS CAUSED MORE EXCITEMENT.
HE WAS DECISIVELY UNABLE TO RESIST THE TEMPTATION.
SO I CONSULTED AN EXPERT AT THE PERKINS’ SCHOOL
FOR THE BLIND, WHERE HELEN KELLER’S TEACHER WAS TRAINED.
SHE EXPLAINED THAT THE BOY WAS STUCK IN REPEATING A PATTERN,
AND THAT HE NEEDED A NEW ONE.
SIMPLY PUNISHING HIM WOULD NOT GIVE HIM A NEW PATTERN.
INSTEAD, I WOULD JUST WATCH, AND WHENEVER I SAW HIM
BEING TEMPTED I WOULD GENTLY TAKE HIM BY THE ELBOW
AND LEAD HIM TOWARD THE BLOCKS OR ANOTHER KIND OF PLAY.
I WAS TO LEAD HIM IN DEVELOPING A NEW PATTERN.
HE COULD NOT DO THIS HIMSELF; HE NEEDED GENTLE LEADERSHIP.
I TRIED THIS THEORY OF PATTERNING.
THE NEXT SUNDAY, WHENEVER I SAW HIM START TO DEVELOP
THAT GLEAM IN HIS EYE AS HE WAS LOOKING AT ANOTHER CHILD,
I GENTLY TOOK HIS ELBOW AND LED HIM
TOWARD SOME OTHER TOYS.
IT WORKED BEAUTIFULLY; AFTER [A FEW] SUNDAYS,
THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED.”
STASSEN CONTINUES:
“THAT FOUR-YEAR-OLD BOY WAS MY SON.
HE IS NOW A COLLEGE GRADUATE WITH BACHELOR’S
AND MASTER’S DEGREES IN GERMAN,
INCLUDING A YEAR’S SUCCESSFUL STUDY
AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, PLUS A CERTIFICATE
IN TRANSLATION FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINZ IN GERMANY.
HE TRANSLATES THEOLOGICAL BOOKS AND ARTICLES
FROM GERMAN INTO ENGLISH FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
AND FACULTY RESEARCHERS, AND FOR PUBLICATION.”
PROFESSOR STASSEN CONCLUDES:
“[MY SON] HAS DEFINITELY LEARNED SOME NEW PATTERNS!
BUT NOT WITHOUT A LITTLE GUIDANCE AND HELP.” (End quote)
GUIDANCE AND HELP ARE EXACTLY WHAT WE’RE PRAYING FOR
WHEN WE PRAY: AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.”
OUR BEST GUIDANCE AND HELP COME FROM PATTERNING OUR LIVES
ON THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF JESUS.
THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF JESUS ARE OUR BEST GUIDE
TO WHOLENESS AND HAPPINESS.
AND THIS IS WHAT CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT –
GOD BREAKING INTO OUR WORLD WITH THE GIFT
OF THE ONLY PATTERN OF LIVING
THAT LEADS TO TRUE WHOLENESS AND REAL HAPPINESS.
MAY WE HAVE THE DESIRE TO “UNWRAP” GOD’S GIFT
AND CLOTHE OURSELVES WITH IT!
AMEN.