LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION - The Lord's Prayer - Part 7
Y No Nos Metas en Tentación - La Oración de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo - Parte 7
by
Mary Hunt Webb
Posted Thursday, March 31, 2016
Although food is a necessity, sweets are an indulgence that can lead to obesity and other health problems. [Photographer: Oksana Zahray. Photo courtesy of Stockvault.net.]
Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day, our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
What is temptation? It is the enticement of pleasure or gain without regard to actual need or future consequences.
We have all faced it, haven't we? Perhaps it is the urge to buy something more than we need: More tools, more clothes, more fabric, more cosmetics, more shoes, more cars, more jewelry, or even another house. Or, perhaps it is the desire to eat things that we know are not good for us, such as cake, a frosted doughnut, a large steak, French fries, fried cheese, or any number of calorie-laden enticements. Temptation comes in all forms, but it is often different among individuals. What tempts one person won't necessarily tempt another.
I have always marveled at the first temptation in the Bible. Some of the temptations of today were not around. Money, drugs, alcohol, and vehicles didn't exist then. Sex wasn't forbidden to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. So, what was it that caused them to give in to temptation? Genesis 3:6 indicates that the alluring object was food: "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate." And, it wasn't even chocolate! The Bible tells us in Genesis 3:2-3 that the object that led Adam and Eve to sin was a piece of fruit. Genesis 3:2-3 says '2) And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3) but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'" If we think about this carefully, we can see that food wasn't the real temptation because they had plenty of food available.
The actual temptation was the lure of doing something that was forbidden. In essence, the foundation for temptation is not an object but an action. The basis for any temptation is disobedience. And what is disobedience? Disobedience is an unwillingness to submit to the authority of someone else by trusting that person. More specifically, disobedience is the desire to express independence even at the risk of one's own safety, well-being, or freedom.
Disobedience is the desire to express independence even at the risk of one's own safety, well-being, or freedom. [Photographer: Yuliy Ganev. Photo courtesy of Stockvault.net.]
A second factor involved in temptation is the element of time. For example, when a new electronic gadget comes out, there is often a rush among buyers to have the latest version. But, let a few months or a year pass, and the novelty will have been replaced with something else. Therefore, temptation is often limited to a period of time. If we can let some time lapse, we may no longer be tempted because the object will have lost its allure.
If we can allow some time to pass before acting on impulse, the desire to succumb to temptation may lose its allure. [Photographer: Jack Moreh. Photo courtesy of Stockvault.net.]
It is important to remember that temptation focuses on our immediate desires without regard for the needs of others or the effect that it will have on them. Temptation is selfish indulgence that can hurt family and others around us. Giving into temptation - and the sin that often goes with it - says that we have given no thought to their needs.
What does that mean, then, for our request to not be led into temptation and its accompanying evil? That portion of the prayer is a request for 1) a willingness to trust God, 2) a desire to trust Him, and 3) a spirit of cooperation. Without those three qualities, we are easy targets for every lure that Satan puts in our paths. But, with those qualities, we can follow the advice given in James 4:7, which says, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (New King James Version)
When we submit ourselves to God by applying the teaching found in the Bible, then temptation and evil don't stand a chance.
Giving in to temptation demonstrates that we have given no thought to the desires or needs of others. [Photographer: Unsplash. Photo courtesy of Stockvault.net.]
BIBLE VERSES FOR THIS POSTING
Matthew 6:13 — And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (King James Version)
Mateo 6:13 — Y no nos metas en tentación, mas líbranos del mal. (Reina-Valera 1960)
Genesis 3:6 — So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. (New King James Version)
Génesis 3:6 — Y vio la mujer que el árbol era bueno para comer, y que era agradable a los ojos, y árbol codiciable para alcanzar la sabiduría; y tomó de su fruto, y comió; y dio también a su marido, el cual comió así como ella. (Reina-Valera 1960)
Genesis 3:2-3 — 2) And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3) but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'" (New King James Version)
Génesis 3:2-3 — 2) Y la mujer respondió a la serpiente: Del fruto de los árboles del huerto podemos comer; 3) pero del fruto del árbol que está en medio del huerto dijo Dios: No comeréis de él, ni le tocaréis, para que no muráis. (Reina-Valera 1960)
James 4:7 — Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (New King James Version)
Santiago 4:7 — Someteos, pues, a Dios; resistid al diablo, y huirá de vosotros. (Reina-Valera 1960)
Although it may be tempting to post something or add a comment online, the urge to do so may pass if you wait a few hours, and then you won't have anything to regret later. [Photographer: Jack Moreh. Photo courtesy of Stockvault.net.]
