This line of the Lord’s Prayer does not mean, “Don’t let us be tempted.” but rather, “Do not let us yield to temptation.” Craig Blomberg draws attention to a similar saying in Mark 14:38, “pray that you do not come under temptation” (Blomberg, Matthew, 120). Temptation is a fact of being human and is unavoidable for the disciples of Jesus. For example, James calls trials “tests of faith” and considers them occasions for joy because they produce steadfastness, which leads to maturity (James 1:2-4). For James, the result of being steadfast in suffering is a “perfect” faith, one that is complete and lacking nothing. James is not teaching his readers that they can achieve perfection since he clearly states that humans struggle. But he is also clear people can mature and overcome specific sins.
For other posts in this series on the Lord’s Prayer:
- Praying Like The Pagans – Matthew 6:5-8
- Our Father in Heaven – Matthew 6:9
- Thy Kingdom Come – Matthew 6:10
- Give Us Today Our Daily Bread – Matthew 6:11
- Forgive us Our Debts – Matthew 6:12
- Lead us Not into Temptation – Matthew 6:13
There is an important translation issue in this verse. First, the Greek word normally translated as “evil” covers a wide semantic range, as does the Hebrew and Aramaic words that Jesus likely originally used. The word πονηρός (ponēros) can refer to something that is poor quality or physically unhealthy but also to something that is degenerate and wicked. For example, A person with poor vision has “bad eyes.” This does not mean their eyes are morally degenerate, only that they do not function properly. So this could be translated as “bad thing” or “evil thing.”
Second, the Greek phrase in Matthew 6:13 is ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ (apo tou ponērou) and can be translated either as “from evil” or “the evil one.” In the first case, the prayer is to be rescued from bad things which happen in this world, in the second case it is a prayer to be delivered from the power of the tempter himself. This would refer to Satan and the dark spiritual forces of this world.
Both observations are important decisions to make at the translation level since there is quite a difference between “rescue us from bad things happening to us” and “rescue is from the power of the devil.” Should the disciples of Jesus expect that God will rescue them from every bad thing that might happen to them in this life? This is highly unlikely since he warned his followers they would face persecution. The disciples are the poor ones who hunger and thirst, they are the ones who will be persecuted and falsely accused for all sorts of evil because of their stand for Jesus.
It seems better that this is a prayer to be rescued from the dark spiritual forces active in the world. In John 17:15, Jesus prays that God the Father would protect his disciples “from the evil one.” In Ephesians 6:10, Paul says the believer does not wrestle against flesh and blood but rather against dark and sinister forces of evil. In 2 Thessalonians 3:3, Paul says, “The Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.”
In the context of Jesus’ ministry, the trials that the disciples faced were very real threats to their lives – they were going to be arrested and likely beaten by both their friends (the Jews of the Synagogues) and their enemies (the Romans, eventually). In Mark 14:38, Jesus talks about a trial that might result in apostasy, a denial of faith. We might describe this as a “crisis of faith,” a difficulty that is so severe that the believer may be tempted to reject his faith, deny the Lord, and, in a sense, return to a state of unbelief.
There is a strong indication that Jesus believes his disciples will pass through the time of trial and be restored after the resurrection. This is also found in contemporary Jewish literature that the one who fears the Lord will be rescued in their time of trial. Sirach 33:1 says, “No evil will befall the one who fears the Lord, but in trials, such a one will be rescued again and again.”
The disciples of Jesus should expect trials and temptations. There is no way to avoid them. In fact, trials and temptations are an indication the true disciple of Jesus is living out their faith, they are coming to the attention of an evil society which seeks to suppress them.
If this is correct, there is a serious contrast with some strains of Christianity, which teaches the real disciple of Jesus will always be happy and healthy or that any trial in one’s life is the result of sin. This is not at all what Jesus or Paul taught! The disciple of Jesus will still struggle with a failing body, they will endure pain and death. The disciples of Christ will still face the economic disaster of a lost job through no fault of their own. They will still face the heartbreak of rebellious children or a faithless spouse. These are not punishments for sin but the sort of things all people face because the world is a fallen place. It is a lie to tell people their lives will be perfect if they expect Jesus as their savior. Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount that true followers can expect all sorts of hardships and will suffer persecution for their faith.
Reblogged this on James' Ramblings.
An orthodox take on evil and temptation: https://frted.wordpress.com/2018/10/27/deliver-us-from-evil-2/
I love this topic because it is one that many people discuss incorrectly. As stated in the initial blog post, people think that once they accept Christ as their savior, then their life instantly becomes easier and they will no longer face hardships. This is not true! You will still experience trials and hard ships, you will be persecuted for your faith, and you will still feel pain and suffering, but the Bible says that God will not give you anything that you can’t endure. 1 Corinthians 10:13 states “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (ESV). This verse provides evidence that God still allows sin and hardship in our lives, because this is what helps us grow and hopefully brings us closer to God. However, he knows that we are only humans and he will help us through whatever that hardship is. It is not always the good things that brings us close to God, but the difficult times when we cannot do it on our own. It is very easy to worship God for all the good things in our lives, but it is a true test of faith when we are faced with one of the hardest events in our life and admit that we need guidance and support from Christ.
In temptation we have a chance to be victorious and “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). I cannot recall a time where I heard a sermon on the joy of temptation. Normally, the “trials of many kinds” that are talked about as if they are natural trials of life and not temptation trials. It seems that oftentimes we combine temptation with sin in our minds. We perceive them both through a lense of negativity. Of course sin is a very negative aspect of life, but temptation is like the fork in the road where we can choose choices that bring life rather than death and destruction. If we truly believe that the power that raised Jesus from the dead is within us then shouldn’t we be confident to face any temptation and know that we can be victorious? As this blog post considers, James tells us temptation is a chance to grow. Moments of temptation even yield potential to be “occasions of joy” when we are faced with evil and choose to walk in righteousness which glorifies God (Long, 2018). James encourages believers saying:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).
This makes me wonder if we are more afraid of having to endure difficult trials and persevere than the actual temptation. Naturally we want to take the path of least resistance, but when we encounter Jesus and life under his grace we are called to a totally different way of life than our sinful human nature is comfortable in. We are told that we will face things that are painful and difficult and tiring. It is refreshing to focus on the victory on the other side of this perseverance in the midst of temptation and to remember that being tempted is not bad. It is simply the fork in the road where we have a choice to choose evil…or to choose good.
Hey Joelle, I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on this topic of deliverance from temptation. I had a lot of similar interpretations of the concept of being tempted as represented in Matthew. Temptation entered the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s one command. Because they fell into the deception of the Wicked One (Genesis 3:4-5), Adam and Eve became the beginning of a long period of time in which God’s creation would turn away or run toward Him. Due to the fact that sin entered the world so early, sin (or in this case yielding to temptation) became a part of human nature.
One of my favorite passages in Scripture is that passage you shared of James 1:2-4. I believe that God gives us various trials in life, and those challenges are meant to change the individual. Because the Evil One still exists within the world today, it is inevitable that temptation has become a norm for humankind. When the Devil tempts any individual, that individual has the opportunity to lean on and trust God’s sovereignty, and obey God by fleeing from the Devil. When we are tempted, it can become a habit to say to oneself, “If I fall into this temptation, I know God still forgives me so it is okay”. God’s forgiveness is everlasting yes, but that does not mean that He wants you to fall into temptation because you know that. When an individual is able to flee from the Devil, and abstain from temptation, they may become closer in relationship and commitment to God.
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13). “This petition is not so much about God’s not leading us into testing or about God’s leading us into temptation, but about God’s protecting and rescuing us from temptation (or testing)” (McKnight, 2013, p.319). This is a section of the Lord’s prayer that not only looks at trusting God, but also realizing that we can’t depend on ourselves to save ourselves from sin. We are prone to sin, to wander. We might be saved, but that does not mean we have been perfected yet. We are still sinners, we just don’t need to be enslaved to that sin anymore. We need to stay aware. The Holy Spirit does that work in us to keep us on watch. The article says, “This line of the Lord’s Prayer does not mean, ‘Don’t let us be tempted.’ but rather ‘do not let us yield to temptation.’” Temptation is unavoidable, Jesus tells us that, especially as Christians we will face trials and persecution. These tests of faith are not bad things, they make us stronger in our faith and grow us closer to Christ which should produce a joy in us. They are to be expected. James 1:13-17 explains our temptations a little more deeply:
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
Our trials and temptations are not from God, but He still controls our circumstances. In 2 Thessalonians 3:3 Paul says, “the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” Jesus prays in John 17:15 that God the Father would protect his disciples “from the evil one.” The devil is constantly looking to get us and attack us, but Jesus is constantly at the right hand of the one who holds the whole world in his hands. He is there ceaselessly praying for us. “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (McKnight, 2013, p.319). I found this quote to be encouraging, but also not entirely correct. I believe God gives us not “no more than we can control” but rather no more than what He can. He is our strength. He upholds us through things from breakups, to accidents, to even the death of a parent, child, or other close loved one. There are tragedies that happen in life that are seemingly unbearable. God is the rock to lean on in those times, not on our own strength. The fact that God helps us through those trials are what make them trials of FAITH.
Matthew 6:13 tackles a difficult problem in our world: temptation. Long rightfully says that temptation is part of being human. When we look at Jesus, God taking on a human body, we see that even Jesus encounters temptation. Evil in our world will never fully subside, and we will be put through trials with it often. It is pointed out that since evil is unavoidable, this prayer is not asking God to prevent encounters with evil, just to be brought out of evil and conquerable sins. McKnight has a similar take on the typical Christian interpretation of Matthew 6:13. He says that “At one level, the sixth petition seems proposterous.” McKnight says that the verb of the sentence infers that God is leading us along in our life. Temptation can also mean test or trials. McKnight points out that although God can test us, he does not partake in tempting us. The similarity between the Long and McKnight readings is very similar in the way they contrast God leading us from God being the one who tempts us.
When considering the topic of temptations from a Christian perspective, it is very evident that the world we live in today is one that is full of temptations, the world we live in is a sinful and fallen world, and temptations are something that comes along with this unfortunately, as we are not perfect humans, not even close. God makes it very clear that we will face temptations and trials of many kinds as Christians, so this is not something that is new at all. As Christians it is important to be aware of what we are consuming, and what we are actually allowing into our lives. I really liked how McNight broke temptations down when he said “We will be tempted, but there is no reason to nurture a temptation (McKnight, 2013, pg. 93).” It is our job to make sure that when we are tempted we do not allow it to grow, and nurture the temptations that come along in our lives. God clearly also tells us that he will always provide a way out, when we turn to him. “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it (1 Corinthians, 10:13).
I did not know that the original greek has a different meaning. When you read it at face value it means to not be led into temptation. Instead it means do not let us yield to temptation. Though James 1:2-4 says the testing of your faith produces perseverance and this leads you to become a more mature follower of Christ. It does not feel like that sometimes. It sometimes feels like your disappointing God because you are not following his commandments. I think too often christians can get into this mindset. As christians we should not strive for perfection but rather accept God’s grace and remember it’s part of being a human. Strauss writes, “while Adam, the first son of God failed in his obedience … Jesus the true son resists temptation and succeeds.” Even in Adam’s state of sinlessness he still disobeyed. That shows how hard it is to follow God.