And Lead Us Not into Temptation

I have often felt confused about which way to go in life. There are popular sayings about taking a first step in faith and believing that God will respond and illuminate the way. Even if God doesn’t show you the full route to your destination, the theory is that God will guide a person’s steps and reveal the path forward. That hasn’t been my experience.

For me, a more typical walk through life’s challenges is that each step along the way seems to be into the dark. The path and its destination remain a mystery. Only in looking back can I detect any coherent route and see that God has indeed led me.

So, I plead with God: Lead me. Make my pathway hedged in on both sides so that deviating from the way I ought to go is not possible.

My husband and I frequently walk at Virginia’s High Bridge Trail State Park. The portion of the trail that goes over the eponymous bridge, which spans the Appomattox River Valley, is my favorite section. The bridge is fenced. The fence consists of sturdy posts and strong chain link. It is nearly as tall as I am. I could walk the length of the bridge blindfolded and not have to worry about falling off the edge. I might bump into other people, but I would not tumble over the side.

In trying to follow God’s guidance for my life, I often feel like I want this. I can’t see the way, and I need something to keep me on the path. I need boundaries that protect me from stumbling and falling. I know I am weak and I don’t want to be tested, so I need the path to steer me clear from temptations. It is far easier to keep from succumbing to a potential temptation if its allure never reaches you.

With wisdom that comes from experience, Jesus instructed his disciples to ask God to lead them, but not into temptation. Jesus knew what it was like to be led into temptation. Three of the Gospels recount an episode where the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted (Matthew 4:1; Mark 1:12; Luke 4:1). The tempter is identified as the devil or Satan, but in all three places the one who led Jesus to the place where the temptation occurred was God.

Mark’s account doesn’t provide details, but the other two Gospel writers identify three specific temptations (although not in the same order): To turn stones into bread, to jump off a tower (pinnacle) of the temple in Jerusalem (maybe about 150 feet high), and to obtain authority over all the kingdoms on earth in exchange for worshipping Satan.

The temptation to turn stones into bread has always puzzled me. Certainly, Jesus must have been hungry. I can imagine that he might even have asked God for bread. Elsewhere, the Gospel stories talk about his ability to turn water into wine (John 2:7–10) and to feed thousands with just a few fish and a couple loaves (for example, Matthew 14:13–21). Clearly, taking a stone and turning it into bread would be consistent with his abilities. It seems logical to think that turning a stone into bread could have been part of God’s plan for meeting physical needs.

Jesus interpreted the scene differently. He famously replied, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Perhaps, embedded in the temptation, Jesus recognized the allure of feeding the flesh at the expense of satisfying a spiritual hunger. Or, maybe he didn’t feel the need to demonstrate his capabilities to the devil, or to test their limits for his own knowledge. Or possibly, Jesus understood that performing a miracle was not something he should do for personal gain alone in the wilderness, but something to be reserved to demonstrate the glory and power of God before people who needed to see it.

In a later passage, Jesus had something to say about asking for bread: “What man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?” (Matthew 7:9). And, “If you then who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11).

I can imagine that the temptation may have been to accept an alternate item immediately rather than wait for God to provide. To make due, even though what was first offered was a poor substitute for what was needed. By not yielding to the temptation, by not taking the first thing offered, Jesus kept his focus on God. Ultimately “angels came and ministered to him” (Matthew 4:11b). I presume they provided something more satisfying than a stone.

In the second (or third, depending on whether you’re reading Matthew or Luke) temptation, the tempter goaded Jesus and suggested that he should throw himself off the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem and let the angels catch him. The challenge seems aimed at getting Jesus to acquiesce to a demonstration to prove himself.

Jesus didn’t take the bait, but the temptation is one I recognize. That thirst to prove myself to naysayers. Throwing yourself off a tower becomes a metaphor for leaping before looking. Failing to count the cost. Presuming that God will bless an effort because I want to demonstrate my worth. When I try to gather evidence of God’s favor through these means, my efforts tend to create a great splat. And, I’m left asking for God’s help to get off the pavement. Jesus knew better than to seek proof of God’s favor in this way.

The third temptation offered the means of achieving earthly power and acclaim by worshiping something or someone other than God. Jesus passed the test, but many in positions of power today do not. World leaders worship the privilege, their right, to wield authority. The ultra-rich worship the luxuries to which they feel entitled. Celebrities worship the adoration of fans. Corporate board members worship markets. Everywhere people worship dollars.

I am grateful that I have never faced many of these temptations. God has led me along a path where power, privilege, luxury, and adoration have never been within my grasp. I have experienced times when dollars were elusive. But, I have also experienced times when I’ve had enough to make ends meet and even had a little left over. Do I worship the funds or the God who provides for all my needs?

During the impoverished periods of my life, I learned to rely on the various ways God met my needs, sometimes through opening doors of opportunity to work more, sometimes through the generosity of others, and sometimes through miracles I can’t explain. In times of more abundance, I have tried to remember that my stewardship of funds is a daily test of my commitment to worship and obey God rather than trust in a bank account.

Still, I beg God not to test me further. I know I am weak. Lead me not into temptation.