Costco and I have a love/hate relationship: I love their quality, prices, and return policies…and hate the crowds from so many others who also love those. Last week we had to make a special trip—our church closed the doors to worship this week so we could “Serve our City,” or show the love of Jesus with no strings attached. From the 100s of projects, we chose helping replenish the local food pantries. As we walked the main entry aisle, Sheila remarked that they had moved the clothing section. A common plan—they move what you came for so you search the whole store to get tempted to buy more than you planned on. I get that, but it reminded me of the line in the Lord’s Prayer, one that Costco does leading very well “lead us not into temptation.”
However, why did Jesus ask the Father to not lead us into temptation? Unlike Costco, God won’t, and can’t, do that, “For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone” (James 1:13). But again, why the prayer? God does test us. Now, let’s do some research. In the original Greek, the word for tempt and test is the same, peirazo, (Strong # 3985 for my Greek loving friends), with the root meaning “to pierce.” Or, to get through to us. The specific meaning is based on the context. It can mean to test a person’s faith or virtue, or to prove something, or to tempt to sin.
Here’s an example from Paul, “Even though my illness was a trial (peirazo) to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn” (Galatians 4:14). His illness tested their love of him, and they passed. Another, just over two years ago I wondered if I was tough enough to do an Iron Butt ride of 1,000 miles in under 24 hours on my bike. I tested myself to prove my ability.
Let’s go back to James to see the difference, “but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (1:14-15). Notice the process: we begin with a desire for evil (this can be for an evil itself, or for an evil method to gain it), we get pulled away with wanting and conceive of doing it, we next act in sin, and if we let sin continue we get spiritual death.
Going back to the Lord’s prayer, maybe we could better translate it, “Don’t let the tests you bring to me to become a temptation to act unlike you.”
Or, how do we distinguish between a test and a temptation? Does it involve evil, either as our goal or method? Then we deal with it as a temptation, and avoid it. I could have been tempted on the Iron Butt ride, if my pride wanted so much to finish it that I needlessly risked my life. OK, I did feel some of this, but resisted it. If evil isn’t involved, then we view it as a test: to discover where we stand, what we need to grow in more. And we move on, becoming more godly.
Kick Starting the Application
How do you typically view hard times and trials and temptations? Do you make the “evil desires” distinction? Do you have some areas where you’ve led yourself from tests to temptations? How can you change the process?