Recently, a friend told me that she always stumbles over the part of the Lord’s Prayer that says, “Lead us not into temptation.” She can’t believe God would deliberately tempt us, so why mention it? I agreed, but I couldn’t explain why the prayer is worded that way.
So I hit the Internet. Google offers almost 6 million pages discussing and/or explaining that particular phrase. I headed straight for the Vatican website and “The Catechism of the Catholic Church” (http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM). Section 2 is devoted to the Lord’s Prayer. Paragraphs 2846 – 2848 deal specifically with “lead us not into temptation.”
The New Testament was originally written in Greek, then later translated into Latin and still later into English. Translations are always tricky. Imagine trying to find one word to explain all that “aloha” means. A more exact translation of “lead us not …” would be something like, “Don’t let us enter into temptation and don’t let us yield to temptation.” God never tries to trick us into sinning. “God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one” (James 1:12).
However, temptation is part of life. Even Jesus was tempted. So it’s not realistic to ask God to protect us from all temptation. Recognizing and resisting temptation are part of our spiritual growth. Pope Benedict said this petition asks God to help us do just that. He distinguished between trials, which help us grow in goodness, and temptations, which can lead to sin and death.
An example might be illness. It’s a trial to behave well when we feel lousy. However, if we ask, God will help us. Sometimes, though, we don’t ask. We give ourselves permission to be selfish or lazy just because we’re sick. That’s temptation, and we must ask God’s help to resist it.
God will hear this prayer just as he hears our requests for our daily bread. As St. Paul writes, “No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). In resisting temptation and in bearing our trials, we imitate Christ, who wrestled with Satan in the wilderness.
To understand trials and temptations better, I researched the next phrase, “Deliver us from evil.” St. Matthew uses a Greek word that means “the evil one.” Every individual moral struggle is part of the great war between good and evil. Jesus has conquered sin and death. However, Satan hasn’t quit trying to corrupt us. He’s still whispering that we don’t have to love and serve God all the time. Once in a while we can please ourselves. Jesus answered that lie when he said, “No one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24).
Finally, the catechism says this petition also asks for the grace to remain true to Christ until the very end. It’s a reminder that this “Our Father” could be our last.
The Lord’s Prayer was never intended to be a theological essay. It’s up to us to think about what we’re saying before we begin. For help with that thinking, we look to Christ’s church and her leaders. It’s their task to explain and clarify Jesus’ teaching for different times, places and cultures. I’m a little ashamed that I’ve been reciting this prayer for 70 years without asking for a fuller explanation. Thanks to my friend, though, I can now say “lead us not into temptation” with greater understanding. One of these days, I might even research the whole prayer!
Kathleen welcomes comments. Send them to Kathleen Choi, 1706 Waianuenue Ave., Hilo 96720, or email: kathchoi@hawaii.rr.com.
