LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION
JOB 1:6-12, MT 6:9-13 BV 4/9/00
TODAY IS THE FINAL LEG OF THE JOURNEY THROUGH THE LORD'S PRAYER THAT MYRLENE HAS TAKEN YOU ON OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS. THE TRADITIONAL VERSION OF THE PRAYER HAS JESUS PRAYING, "AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL." AND MANY OF US HAVE ROUTINELY REPEATED THAT PETITION FOR YEARS WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS IT CONTAINS.
THERE ARE MANY PROBLEMS CREATED BY EVIL AND THE TEMPTATION, SIN AND THE INEVITABLE GUILT THAT OFTEN FOLLOWS AN ENCOUNTER WITH IT. ONE OF THE MORE SERIOUS PROBLEMS IS THE WAY OUR SELF ESTEEM GETS DRAGGED THROUGH THE MUD WHEN WE KNOW WE ARE GUILTY OF SOME KIND OF ROTTEN THING. THEN WHEN OUR SELF ESTEEM IS ATTACKED, WE GET DEFENSIVE AND ANGRY BECAUSE WE FEEL VULNERABLE. AND FOR MOST OF US, VULNERABILITY IS TANTAMOUNT TO DEATH BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT SOMEONE OR SOMETHING CAN GET TO US AND POSSIBLY HURT US. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE WHEN OUR EGO'S ARE INVOLVED. AND SO WHEN THIS HAPPENS WE WALL OURSELVES OFF FROM GOD AND EACH OTHER AND WIND UP ISOLATED FROM THE VERY HELP WE NEED TO DEAL WITH OUR GUILT.
BUT, IN SPITE OF THE GUILT AND THE BAD SELF ESTEEM THAT RESULTS FROM OUR SIN, IT DOESN'T MEAN WE DON'T GIVE IN TO TEMPTATION. LET'S FACE IT AND BE HONEST ABOUT IT. WE KNOW DEEP INSIDE JUST HOW EASILY WE FALL PREY TO A LOT OF THE TEMPTATIONS THAT WE ENCOUNTER. WE CAN USUALLY GIVE OURSELVES AN EXCUSE TO COMPROMISE WHAT WE KNOW TO BE BASICALLY THE RIGHT AND TRUE THING TO DO, IF THE ALTERNATIVE IS ATTRACTIVE ENOUGH.
FOR EXAMPLE, A HUSBAND AND WIFE ARE HAVING DINNER AT A VERY FINE RESTAURANT WHEN THIS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING YOUNG WOMAN COMES OVER TO THEIR TABLE, GIVES THE HUSBAND A BIG KISS, TELLS HIM SHE'LL SEE HIM LATER, AND WALKS AWAY.
HIS WIFE GLARES AT HIM AND SAYS, "WHO WAS THAT??!!"
"OH," REPLIES THE HUSBAND, "THAT WAS MY MISTRESS."
THE WIFE SAYS, "THAT'S IT; I WANT A DIVORCE!"
"I UNDERSTAND," SAYS HER HUSBAND, "BUT, REMEMBER, IF YOU GET A DIVORCE, THERE WILL BE NO MORE SHOPPING TRIPS TO PARIS, NO WINTERING IN THE CARIBBEAN, NO LEXUS IN THE GARAGE, AND NO MORE COUNTRY CLUB. BUT THE DECISION IS YOURS."
JUST THEN THE WIFE NOTICES A MUTUAL FRIEND ENTERING THE RESTAURANT WITH A GORGEOUS WOMAN. "WHO'S THAT WOMAN WITH JIM?" SHE ASKS.
"THAT'S HIS MISTRESS," HER HUSBAND SAYS.
"OURS IS MUCH PETTIER THAN HIS." OBSERVES THE WIFE.
IT'S EASY TO COMPROMISE WITH A LITTLE SIN SOMETIMES, ISN'T IT?
BUT BEYOND THIS, THERE IS A RATHER INTERESTING THEOLOGICAL QUESTION THAT COMES TO MIND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT JESUS TELLING US TO PRAY THAT GOD WILL NOT LEAD US INTO TEMPTATION. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT GOD WOULD EVER INTENTIONALLY LEAD US INTO THE TEMPTATION TO SIN AGAINST HIM? IF SO, WOULD THAT NOT PLACE HIM IN CAHOOTS WITH SATAN? ON THE SURFACE AT LEAST, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN OUR STORY FOR TODAY FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOK OF JOB. SATAN IS GIVEN PERMISSION TO TEMPT JOB TO ACCUSE GOD OF UNJUSTLY CAUSING ALL KINDS OF TROUBLE IN JOB'S LIFE...TROUBLE THAT ACTUALLY COMES FROM SATAN.
OUR MODERN TRANSLATORS OF THE BIBLE HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT THE PROBLEM LIES IN THE OLD KING JAMES TRANSLATION RENDERING OF "LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION." THE GREEK WORD TRANSLATED HERE AS "TEMPTATION" HAS SEVERAL NUANCES AND MEANINGS THAT OUR ENGLISH STRUGGLES TO CAPTURE.
IT REGULARLY MEANS TO TEST OR TO PROVE THE QUALITY OF A PERSON OR A THING. WHEN I WORKED AS A PURCHASING AGENT FOR AN INVESTMENT CASTING FIRM, I BOUGHT A LOT OF EXOTIC STAINLESS STEEL. THE SPECIFIC LOTS OF STEEL WERE CALLED "HEATS." AND PRIOR TO VENDORS SHIPPING AN ENTIRE "HEAT" TO US, THEY WOULD SHIP A SMALL SAMPLE OF THAT HEAT TO US TO TEST TO MAKE SURE IT MET ALL THE SPECIFICATIONS. THAT SMALL SAMPLE WAS CALLED A "PROOF." IF IT PASSED ALL OF OUR TESTS, THE ENTIRE HEAT WAS DECLARED "PROVEN" AND COULD BE RELIED UPON TO MEET OUR NEEDS.
THE WORD, AS IT IS USED IN THE BIBLE, ALSO HAS IN IT THE IDEA OF PUTTING A PERSON IN A SITUATION WHICH IS IN REALITY A TEST BUT WHICH INVOLVES THE POSSIBILITY OF FAILURE. AND THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT MEANING FOR US BECAUSE IT IS REGULARLY USED TO DESCRIBE GOD PLACING PEOPLE IN SITUATIONS THAT ARE TESTS, SITUATIONS IN WHICH THEY MAY FALL, BUT IN WHICH THEY ARE NOT MEANT TO FALL, SITUATIONS THAT MAY RESULT IN CALAMITY, BUT OUT OF WHICH THEY ARE MEANT TO EMERGE SPIRITUALLY STRONGER AND ENRICHED. THIS IS THE SENSE THAT IT IS USED IN OUR STORY OF JOB.
AND LASTLY, THE WORD CONTAINS THE IDEA OF THE DELIBERATE INVITATION AND SEDUCTION TO SIN. THIS IS WHERE THE WORD TEMPTATION COMES CLOSE...A CONDITION WITH WHICH WE ARE ALL TOO FAMILIAR.
PERHAPS THE CLOSEST ENGLISH WORD IS THE WORD "TRIAL." THAT'S THE WORD USED IN THE NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION THAT WE READ FROM FOR TODAY...IT'S ALSO THE WORD WE USE IN THE VERSION OF THE LORD'S PRAYER WE USE HERE AT MORNING STAR EVERY SUNDAY. IT IS OUT OF BEING TRIED THAT WE FIND WHAT KIND OF PERSON WE ARE.
FROM A CHRISTIAN STANDPOINT THERE ARE THREE TRUTHS THAT EMERGE OUT OF ALL OF THIS REGARDING TEMPTATION.
FIRST OF ALL, TEMPTATION IS UNIVERSAL AND INESCAPABLE. IT IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR HUMAN SITUATION.
SECONDLY, TEMPTATION IS A PART OF GOD'S PLAN AND PURPOSE. GOD USES IT TO MAKE US INTO THE KIND OF COMPLETE AND RESILIENT PEOPLE HE WANTS US TO BE.
AND LASTLY, THE VERY FACT THAT WE PRAY THIS PETITION IS THE PROOF THAT WE ARE DEEPLY AWARE THAT WE CANNOT DEAL WITH TEMPTATION BY OURSELVES. SATAN IS TOO STRONG FOR US. HE WILL BEAT US EVERY TIME.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING ABOUT THE BIBLICAL VIEW OF GOOD AND EVIL: JUST AS ALL GOOD THINGS COME FROM GOD, ALL EVIL THINGS COME FROM SATAN. IN OTHER WORDS, THE BIBLE TEACHES US THAT BOTH GOOD AND EVIL STEM FROM SPECIFIC BEINGS.
IT'S LIKE THE PREACHER WHO WAS PREACHING ON THE DOCTRINE OF SATAN AND HE CALLED OUT, "AND IF THERE IS ANYONE HERE WHO DOESN'T BELIEVE IN A PERSONAL DEVIL, JUST COME UP AND SEE ME AFTER THE SERVICE." (PAR)
AT ANY RATE, THE PASSAGE WE READ FROM THE BIBLE FOR TODAY IS CORRECT WHEN IT ASKS GOD TO, "RESCUE US FROM THE EVIL ONE."
THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT THIS EVIL ONE GOES BY TWO NAMES: SATAN AND THE DEVIL. TECHNICALLY THE NAME SATAN SIMPLY MEANS ADVERSARY. SATAN WAS THE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY AGAINST HUMANS IN THE COURTS OF GOD. THEREFORE HE IS OUR ADVERSARY.
AS FAR AS THE NAME "THE DEVIL" GOES, THE WORD WE TRANSLATE AS DEVIL IS THE NORMAL GREEK WORD FOR A SLANDERER.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT IT, THE TWO IDEAS ARE PRETTY CLOSE TO EACH OTHER. IT IS NOT MUCH OF A STRETCH TO GO FROM STATING THE CASE AGAINST US TO FABRICATING A CASE AGAINST US. THE GOAL OF THE EVIL ONE IN ANY CASE IS TO CAUSE A BREAKDOWN IN THE RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE WITH GOD. THEREFORE THE EVIL ONE IS THE PERSONIFICATION OF ALL THAT IS AGAINST GOD AND ALL THAT IS OUT TO RUIN US IN THIS LIFE AND IN THE LIFE TO COME.
THE PROBLEM WITH SATAN IS THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH A FORCE THAT IS SUPERNATURAL. SATAN WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF GOD'S ANGELS AT ONE POINT. WE SEE HIM IN THE COMPANY OF THE ANGELS OF GOD IN OUR STORY ABOUT JOB FOR TODAY. BUT TODAY HE IS OUR ADVERSARY, OUR ACCUSER BEFORE GOD. SO HOW DO WE FIGHT AGAINST SUCH A SUPERNATURAL POWERFUL ADVERSARY?
IN JUST A MINUTE WE WILL GATHER AROUND THE LORD'S TABLE TO CELEBRATE COMMUNION. IN THAT MOMENT WE WILL SAYING A COUPLE OF THINGS. FIRST OF ALL, AS WE TAKE THE BREAD AND DRINK FROM THE CUP, WE PROCLAIM OUR UNITY WITH ONE ANOTHER IN THE BODY AND BLOOD OF OUR LORD. SECONDLY, WE PROCLAIM OUR ONENESS WITH OUR RISEN LORD. THERE IS BOTH A HORIZONTAL AND A VERTICAL DIMENSION IN WHAT WE DO IN THIS SIMPLE MEAL. THAT IS WHY THE CROSS IS SUCH A POWERFUL SYMBOL FOR US IN THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT AND IN OUR FIGHT AGAINST TEMPTATION. BUT BEYOND THAT, WE ALSO MUST REMEMBER THAT JESUS SAID THAT HE IS PRESENT WITH US IN THIS MEAL. THIS MEANS THAT HE IS ALIVE AND WITH US. HE IS NOT JUST SOME FIGURE IN A BOOK; HE IS A LIVING PRESENCE. HE MOVES WITH US IN EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY, IF WE ASK HIM TO BE THERE. AND HE IS ON OUR SIDE...HE IS GOD FOR US...OUR DEFENSE ATTORNEY WHO WINS EVERY CASE. HE IS ALSO THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS EVER BEATEN SATAN. AND ALL WE HAVE TO DO IN THOSE MOMENTS OF TEMPTATION IS TO REACH OUT AND TAKE HIS HAND AND ASK HIM TO TAKE OUR BURDEN FROM US.