“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
“And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
And forgive us our debts,
As we also have forgiven our debtors;
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.”
Matthew 6: 5-13
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil? God leading us into temptation? Bad translation? I used to say “Yes” but not so fast. We look back in St. Matthew’s Gospel and the events directly following Christ’s baptism in the Jordan.
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”
Matthew 4:1
Who led Christ into the desert? The Holy Spirit led Him there. Led Him into Temptation. Jesus was put to the test to strengthen Him for His divine office that would require the sacrifice of His flesh. This was the salvation of sinners. To save the sheep who would hear their shepherd’s voice in the wilderness. As we walk the path of holiness on this earth we must prepare to walk in the footsteps of Christ. They may lead us to the sick, the needy, to death, and if God wills it, into temptation. God’s will may certainly lead us to the test of our fidelity and faith. This is done out of love. Our finite, fallen minds have a hard time understanding this. As Fr. Mitch Pacwa once noted, ‘God leads us to temptation like a General leading his troops into battle. Not to get them killed but to bring about victory.’ We are at war and are called to take up arms against the evil one. Christ knew this when He taught us how to pray. We may be allowed to undergo the test and it will be hard. We are weak and we must rely on the Grace of God the Father to overcome the tempter. This is the reason he also taught us to ask the Father to “deliver us from evil”. Embrace all the gifts of God’s love in whatever form they may take on. Be humble and call on the Lord to help us in our time of need. As we draw closer to God more will be asked of us, and more will be given to us in return. Pray that you may avoid temptation. Pray harder that at the hour the Father asks you to be like His only Son, that He will deliver you from the evil one and into His loving arms.
