The last time we studied the Lord's Prayer was almost 3 months ago.
In our study of the Lord's Prayer, we learned that when we pray, we
come to a loving heavenly father. When we pray, our focus is not on
what we can get out of God, but in telling God how we wish his rule,
kingdom and his most perfect will be accomplished on earth as it is
in heaven. Our prayer is not to manipulate God into giving what we
want. Instead, our prayer is an expression of how much we are dependent
upon him. We ask for daily bread because we recognize that this is
needed for our physical survival. We ask for forgiveness, for it is
needed for our relational survival. Without forgiveness, human relationships
will be full of bitterness and resentment. This morning we want to
look at the last petition: Lead us not into temptation but deliver
us from evil. This teaches us a simple but basic truth: we are dependent
on God for our spiritual survival.
Let's take a closer look at this last petition.
I. The Lord's Prayer teaches us about the reality of evil.
In popular novels and movies, evil is usually present to provide
the much needed tension and conflict in the story plot.
In the Star War, there is the Dark Force. In Lewis's Chronicles of
Narnia, is the white witch and her followers. In Harry Potter, even
in the world of witches and magic, there is the evil versus the good
influence. In the Lord of the Rings is the race so that the ring will
not fall into the hands of evil.
Not only in novels and movies, our daily newspapers are like a record
of evil in the society. In recent months, we witness the evil in big
corporations and religious organizations. We recognize evil in the
abduction and killing of two young girls in Ca. and Mo. Certainly,
it is easy to spot the evil around us.
Several Sundays ago, we also talked about the dark side, an evil
side in all of us. If we don't check it, we are all capable of doing
evil things.
In the Lord's Prayer, the petition: "lead us not into temptation,
but delivers us from evil…" clearly tells us that there is evil, evil
is real.
1. Personification of Evil. In other translations, we have,
"….deliver us from the evil one." This petition not only tells us
that evil is real, but also tells us the existence of the evil one.
Behind the evil deeds, there is an evil one. Yes, we believe in evil
deeds, but a personal evil? This is something hard for us to understand
and accept. When we talk about the evil one, we tend to look at it
as something superstitious. Yet logically, if there is good, then
there must be evil. If there is a good God, then there must also be
an Evil One. Jesus clearly believed in the Evil One, "My prayer is
not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them
from the evil one."(John 17:15). Peter believed in it, "Be self-controlled
and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour. Resist him, ……" (1Peter 5:8,9a). Devil,
the evil one, moves around, looking for someone to devour, to defeat.
Its not just an invisible force. Paul also believed and taught about
it. In Ephesians 6:16, "In addition to all this, take up the shield
of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of
the evil one." We are in a battle with the evil one. This evil one
is the devil, Satan. He is real.
2. The work of the evil one. The scriptures we have just
read not only tell us about the existence of the Evil One, but he
is also actively enticing believers into behaviors and thoughts that
are contrary to God's standards. The evil one wants us to follow his
way of life instead of God's way.
God is holy, but the devil does his best to entice us to lead a life
of compromise. That we give in to sexual immorality, greediness and
dishonesty. God loves and cares for the weak and defenseless. The
devil entices us to love the strong, the powerful and the wealthy,
ignoring or despising the weak, the sick and the poor. Sometimes we
even take advantage of the weak and vulnerable ones around us. We
love only those whom we feel deserve our love. God is merciful and
gracious, but the devil wants us to be vengeful and exploitive. We
do to others in the same way as they do to us.
God wants his children to manifest the fruit of his spirit in their
lives. That our lives are characterized by love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control(Galatians
5:22). Instead, the devil constantly influences us to be hateful,
depressed, inner turmoil, impulsive, unkind, harsh on self and others,
easily giving up and with no self-control.
Yes, Satan, the devil, the evil one will try to influence us, tempt
us so that we be the opposite of what God wants us to be. However,
it is also important to understand another aspect of the temptations
we face.
James 1:13, "When tempted, no one should say, ''God is tempting me."
For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each
one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and
enticed." Here James tells us that God does not tempt us. Instead,
we each have our own evil desires. We are tempted by our evil desire
and if we give in, it will lead to sin.
For example: our dog has a weakness for human food. If you put any
food in front of him, he'll devour it in no time. Or, if I put a bar
of Godiva chocolate before you. Some of you take a look and just walk
away. You are not interested; you don't have a taste for it. But not
so with others; our pupil will dilate, mouth start to drew, and hand
starts to reach out to it. Why? You have a weak spot for chocolate.
Once you see it, you are drawn to it.
The same is true with life. We are all sinners. Each of us has a
different weakness, or in James' words: evil desire. Some of us may
be prone to telling lies, another gambling, or easy to hold grudges
against others, tend to be unforgiving, easily become bitter and resentful
of others. One person may be attracted to alcohol, or sexually explicit
material and immoral behaviors. Another may have a hard time dealing
with his/her temper, thereby constantly hurting others and resulting
in alienation from the community. We may have a weakness for money
or power.
James is saying that when we sin, it can be due to our inner evil
desires. However, we also need to know that that the evil one will
take advantage of our weaknesses, tempting us to fall into sin. He
works 24/7, enticing us to do what is contrary to God's standards.
As in 1Peter 5:8, "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring
lion looking for someone to devour." He will use all kinds of tactics
so that we fall and come short of God's standards. Then what?
II. The Lord's Prayer teaches us to be dependent upon God to
resist the evil one.
It is an understatement to say that the evil one is ferocious. Just
read any daily newspapers, local, or international, you'll see a chronicle
of the evil one's accomplishments. So how are we suppose to live?
Jesus teaches us to pray, "lead us not into temptation, but deliver
us from the evil one." In essence it means that we are to be dependent
upon him. We depend on God for our daily bread. We depend on him to
forgive others. We also depend on him to survive and overcome the
evil one. Yes, we can indeed resist and overcome him. If not, this
petition will be unrealistic and cruel. Shall we take a closer look
at this petition.
1. Be Alert. In the context of this Lord's Prayer, it is clear
that we are to pray and ask God to deliver us from the evil one on
a regular basis. Not just when we find ourselves in trouble. Yes,
when we face temptations, we are to pray that he will lead us not
into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. On a daily, moment
by moment basis, we are to be alert; for we know the evil one is constantly
trying to find an opportunity to tempt us into sin. Cynthia always
reminds me, "don't you ever say this won't happen to you."
There is more than just praying. We are not to put ourselves in situations
that would make us vulnerable to sin. For example, if you have a weakness
for chocolate, once you start, you can't seem to stop, and you know
if you eat too much, your face will break out, or you will gain weight,
it will be wise for you not to go near that Godiva store or visit
a chocolate factory, right?
If I have a weakness for gambling, I will do my best to stay away
from the slot machines. If I am prone to sexual temptation, then I
will make every effort to stay away from certain magazines, movies,
TV shows and web sites. Paul reminds Timothy to flee from youthful
lust. We need to know where our weak spots are, and to be on the look
out. If not, the evil one will take advantage of that and intrude
into our lives, pulling us away from God.
2. Be dependent on God. Jesus teaches us that when you pray….It
means that when we come before God in prayers, we are to ask God to
help us. Not once in a while, but regularly, just as we regularly
seek his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this
day our daily bread. Yes, there is human effort to resist the evil
one. The scripture's teaching on this is clear. Our salvation is free.
But our sanctification, the process whereby we become more like Jesus
Christ, the process whereby we resist temptations and sins, requires
our effort and God's grace.
Jesus had also taught us that apart from him, we can do nothing.
We have the hymn reminding us that we need him every hour. Every hour
we need him to help us to resist the evil one. We need him to help
us not to face those temptations.
3. Pray for each other. Again, at the on set of this study,
we learned that the Lord's Prayer is a community prayer: lead US not
into temptation, but deliver US from the evil one. Not just me, but
the entire Christian community. We are on the look out for each other.
We are to pray for one another. Pray for the brothers/sisters that
they will not fall into different kinds of temptation.
However, having said this, I also feel it is important to caution
us against the following thinking. If only I had prayed more for him/her,
then he/she would not have failed. If only I prayed more, then their
marriage will be fine; then he would not have sinned. Yes, it is important
to pray for each other, but it is also important to remember that
each person can make meaningful choices, either right or wrong. Each
person needs to be responsible for his/her decisions.
4. Trusting God. As we pray and ask God not to lead us into
temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, we are to remember God's
words, "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because
the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."
(1 John 4:4).The God who is within us is greater than those spirits
of untruth. Don't let them intimidate us.
1 Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has seized you except what is
common to man. 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 stand up under it."
What a comfort this is. God knows the temptations before us. when
the temptation becomes unbearable, the scripture says that he will
provide us with a way out. Yes, we resist the temptation, but we are
also dependent on God's faithfulness to help us out. It is with this
understanding that we can pray: Lead us not into temptation, but deliver
us from evil.
Conclusion
In most of the original manuscript, the Lord' Prayer stops after
this last petition. As the early readers faced this simple prayer
that Jesus taught them; as they saw the wealth of truth in it, they
burst out into praise: for yours is the kingdom and the power and
the glory forever, Amen.
Many of us are familiar with the TV show: The Survivors. This is
a rather self-centered show. In the end only one person is the survivor,
the winner.
This is not true in the Christian community. In order to survive
physically, relationally and spiritually, we are to pray for each
other. We ask God to provide us with the daily bread. We ask God to
help us to forgive those who have wronged us. We plead with him not
to lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. It is
one for all, all for one.
As we conclude this series on the Lord's Prayer, it is my prayer
that we will use this prayer as our model prayer, for this is the
prayer that our Lord Jesus Christ has taught us. We do not use prayer
as a tool to manipulate God into giving what we want. Prayer is a
means whereby we are drawn close to our heavenly father. Prayer is
also our expression of how much we need him to live and survive in
a very sinful and broken world.
