Lead Us
Not!
"And do not
lead
us into temptation."
Matthew 6: 13
We’ve all heard the timeless question,
“Which came first—the chicken or the egg?”
Since one leads to another in a never-ending
cycle, the question is hard to answer.
We
ask a similar question in the spiritual realm:
“Which comes first—the test or the temptation?”
Ask another way, “What's the difference between
a test and a temptation?”
The same Greek word can be translated to “temptation”
or “test” or “trial” (as in James 1:2 and 1:13 where the
same Greek word translates differently). A trial can lead
to a temptation; a temptation can become a
test. And
temptations and tests can become, if they are
prolonged, trials.
When Jesus taught His disciples to pray that God would not
“lead us into temptation,” context is
needed. James 1:13-15
says that God cannot be tempted, nor does He tempt anyone.
So the prayer in Matthew 6:13 must be read as a prayer to be
spared from circumstances — trials, tests, temptations — that
might lead us to sin.
When we do find ourselves tempted,
God always provides a way of escape
(1 Corinthians 10:13). Finding that way
is at the heart of our prayer.
"He who avoids the
temptation avoids the
sin."
Anonymous