This line (In Matthew’s version of the Our Father) has never made sense to me, although I continue to say it since this is the way it is usually translated; but I cannot really appeciate it as is. Sometimes, it is translated “do not put us to the test” (In Luke’s version), which still seems strange and problematic. Why would God “lead” us into temptation or “put us to the test” to begin with? Is human life an obstacle course, a testing ground? Are we all on trial? I thought God’s usual job was to lead us away from temptation! Why would we need to ask God to NOT lead us INTO temptation? Does he?
Here is the way I can make sense out of the common translation, and then you do with it what you wish, which includes ignoring it if it is not helpful.
I think Jesus is saying that we are BURDENED WITH FREEDOM, life is a constant decision, and thus it is always a “temptation” to choose the wrong thing or to believe that we have ever perfectly done the “right” thing. Free will itself is our constant temptation. Even when we choose the supposed good thing, it is seldom the perfect thing, and usually has many unwanted effects. We seldom do good things for totally pure motives. Maybe the only big temptation for religious people (who are the ones who would say such a prayer!) is to think that we, in fact, DO perfectly good things–for pure love of God and neighbor–and with clear motives? Do we ever do that? It is the illusion of people in the first half of life and of religion.
With this interpretation, the final line of the Our Father now makes perfect sense–”at least, keep us from actually doing evil”! That is almost the most we can hope for, and indeed should be our honest and humble prayer (Similar to the Doctor’s principle, to at least “do no harm”!) I think the prayer was to keep religious people humble, honest, and unpretentious–and fully conscious of their own mixed motives and confused actions. Maybe it would best be translated “Lead us away from any illusions about ourselves, and at least keep us from doing downright evil” and calling it virtue. That is perhaps the best that we weak humans can hope for, it seems to me. At this point in history, far too much evil has been done by Christiian people who are absolutely convinced they are doing “God’s holy will”, when they are clearly doing their own. The Our Father, thus understood, was meant to keep us all self critical and truly open to another “Kingdom coming” instead of just our own. Remember, prayer is something that “religious” people do, and that is who he created it for. Jesus was not creating a prayer for the likes of Al Capone or Heinrich Himmler! Let’s give Jesus credit for the immense subtlety and attention to audience with which he taught. The major “temptation” that religious people fall into is illusion–and the outright evils done in its name.
Your thoughts make plenty of sense to me. Ever hear that part of the prayer expressed as “… and be with us in the test”? That is almost the same thing. It has made some sense to me, also.
Thank you, Fr. Richard! This line has troubled me for years. Within the past year I started saying it like this: Lead us…not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…That ‘pause’ helped in a small way to easy my perplexed mind. In the first half of my life I didn’t question the line at all…but now…Yes. So, I thank you for an explanation that nurtures my spiritual growth.
It makes much more sense in the Spanish translation: “no nos dejes caer en la tentación” (don’t let’s fall into temptation). I always pray it in Spanish. The English does not make sense to me.
Thank you for a wonderful post. Free will is a constant test. What can I do with it to make the world a better place?
I hear it as, “Please don’t make us do what Jesus did in the desert,” which, in turn, sounds to me like a plea not to bring us face to face with our own dark side and force us to resolve that into light — to which I supply, “before we are ready.” Part of why I hear those lines this way is that I think our own confrontation with our dark side can feel like a seduction — it’s a difficult kind of energy, but with great willingness and submission, one passes through it (or rather, it passes through one).
I’m not saying my hearing these lines in this way is correct or that others should share it, but having experienced what I’ve experienced, that’s how I hear it, and it’s brought me some kind of sense of having heard an echo to my own experience.
Amazing..you keep leading me into peace…I feel I can stop hating myself..the Good I want to do never seems enough..my decisions rarely seem “right” even though I pray..I Discover after decisions how much ego leads and guides..perhaps now I can be satisfied with “just do no harm”…perhaps that’s enough. Just do my best, commit the rest…and stop hating myself.. for not being perfect, for not being the”savoir” for not having purely agape motives.
I have come to complete satisfaction with this phrase by visualizing Jesus speaking to religious people 2000 years ago who really did believe that God tested them. He spoke right to their understanding, and so to that part of me that blames God for all my woes (a part of me that is peripheral when I am mindful, but front and center when I am caught up in the circumstances and spiritually asleep). Jesus then gives new wisdom to his listeners: permission to ask for help, now possible because of the redemptive work Jesus was doing, and completed at his ascension, as the glorified Lord God Jesus Christ. And I feel ever more deeply his love and mercy every time I catch myself asleep, and, once again, am then free to ask for his deliverance.
Thank you, Richard for this . We are all capable of great evil and great virtue. Lord help us to love one another including ourselves.
…continue to attempt becoming fully conscious of my own mixed motives and confused actions… Amen, to this version. Richard.
“One question haunts and hurts, too much, too much to mention:
Was I really seeking good, or just seeking attention?
Is that all good deeds are when looked at with an ice-cold eye?”
(– quotation from the “Wicked” Witch of the West in the musical Wicked, where she wonders along similar lines to Brother Richard in her own ‘time of trial’. It’s a musical well worth seeing if you haven’t yet.)
I love the new translation: “Lead us away from any illusions about ourselves, and at least keep us from doing downright evil”. Spot on.
I must also own the very simple idea that I want my life to be all clear sailing with no troubles – that’s what the plea to be ‘saved from time of trial’ often means to me. Even as I pray it, I know that isn’t how things are going to go down. Could look at that thought as selfish and fearful and very ‘gimme’…a more positive way of seeing it would be the understanding that God loves us and wants health and wholeness for all of us, ultimately, so it’s ok for us to want that too.
Thankyou Richard for your post I found it helpfull. Blessings
At my Mennonite church we always use the alternative translation; ‘Save us from the time of trial’. This makes perfect sense to me both in terms of the past persecution of Mennonites, in terms of our church which has suffered multiple untimely bereavements, and in terms of my own life where there have many and repeated trials (not to mention my own recurrent depression, and parenting an only child with special needs).
Thanks for a good meditation. I think you got the language exactly right when you worded it as “lead us away from….” That’s precisely what folks who spoke Elizabethan English would have known “lead us not into” to mean. But thanks too for inspiring us with the realization of what God wants to lead us “away from.” You are a genuine and much-needed guide in our day when the false self and the bondage it brings so dominates us.
This is such a perfect interpretation of the “temptation” line in the Our Father (or perhaps I should not use the word “perfect” ?). I will just say then that it works for me. And the last sentence says it all. Thank you!
“Lead us away from any illusions about ourselves, and at least keep us from doing downright evil”
Thank you for that Fr Richard – ^ Lately I’ve gotten in to the habit of saying ‘gift us this day our daily bread’ also feeling more grateful than demanding … (I hope)
Thanks, Richard, for this honest interpretation…
I’ve always found that line odd too. However, in Spanish it makes sense. It is “libranos del mal” which translates as “free us from evil. “
Sorry, wrong line! I meant to say that in Spanish it is “no nos dejes caer en tentacion” which translates as “don’t let us fall into temptation.”
Father Richard,
I am so grateful that you have chosen to “unpack this particular paradox”. For years it has been so difficult for me to utter the words “do not lead us into temptation” for the same reasons that you so eloquently describe. When I get to that point in the Lord’s Prayer, I instead use the phrase “do not let us fall into temptation”. For me, another way to avoid being distracted by my conflicting feelings about this paradoxical statement is to simply find refuge in my mother tongue. In Spanish we say, “no nos dejes caer en tentación” (do not allow us to fall into temptation).
Very enlightening is your “Lead us away from any illusions about ourselves” since it resolves this paradox by reaffirming the fact that we – in our human condition – need the gift of divine grace and wisdom to protect us and guide the
choices of our free will so that we may keep far away from doing harm.
Peace and joy,
Lisette Bernier-McGowan
Or, could it mean something in line with please help prevent anything from damaging / straining our relationship? One has to wonder why some women and men chose to leave the “dirty rotten system” and live in some sort of cave … maybe that line in the prayer is for all of us who don’t?
I think that your comment, “Even when we choose the supposed good thing, it is seldom the perfect thing, and usually has many unwanted effects. We seldom do good things for totally pure motives” is right on target. Martin Luther addressed this problem through what came to be called the “Bonded Will.” Many people think that “Free Will” gives us the freedom to choose to do “perfectly good things” with “totally pure motives.” Luther addressed this type of false belief by reminding us that because we are continuously affected by the sin in our lives we can’t ever choose to do perfectly good things with pure motives. Luther would not have been a good Buddhist.
I’m reminded of this quote from Terry Pratchett:
“The face of virtue triumphant is almost as horrible as that of evil revealed. Almost, but not quite.”
i like the version of the “our father” in a course in miracles, where this line is expressed as “let us not wander into temptation”.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, Fr. Rohr. As old as I am, you would think that by now I could have thought of that instead of hesitating and scowling whenever I come to that part of The Lord’s Prayer.
I find it interesting to contrast it with the Spanish translation I’m familiar with “No nos dejes caer in tentacion” (Don’t let us fall into temptation)–it makes more sense to me that way.
In the Church I attend we say, “Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil”
Your thoughts really made sense to me. First you visualized the audience that was listening to Jesus. Then you related it to all of us who are trying to listen to Jesus in our time period. For me it appears that everything goes back to the listening and being open to more than one side of the story so to speak, in your words the “paradox”. Your words are good for me to ponder in my struggle to pray with concern for those who just do not like me. It is quite a challenge to all of us ” religious” people especially when we think we are right!!!! I will be thinking much more about the Lord’s prayer when I pray it again. Thank you.
Blessings
Could this also be seen in light of Paul’s later, “Do not be conformed to this world but transformed by the renewal of your mind…”?
Temptation never was/is in the desert; it is in “this world,” with its dominant values of greed, power and prestige. So is this not asking God’s power to untangle us from this world rather than leave us seeing only what culture wants us to see, and to deliver us from evil by helping us see the Kingdom of God here and now as well? To be more present/known to us than the surface world is?
Dear Richard,
I have never liked this line in the Lord’s Prayer. It seems to speak of small things – the temptation to eat too much chocolate for example! I do prefer “do not put us to the test” because that reminds me of Jesus in Gethsemane and on the Cross – in the ultimate testing places, where none of us would choose to be, the place where you have to stand up for what you believe in. It seems to me like a prayer for a quiet, ordinary life. We all, whether we admit it or not, think we would like a life less ordinary, in the spotlight, but would we really like it if we got it? I think not. I’ve only been in a testing place once and my, it was hard. I was at a concert in Chile in 1974 after the coup against the Allende government. The concert was attended by one of the military high-ups and my friend and I decided we would not applaud him. As he entered and everyone else clapped, I had to literally sit on my hands to stop myself from joining in – it was as if my hands had a life of their own, such was the imperative to conform and not be noticed. There were no consequences for myself, so I was luckier than some, except it did give new meaning to “do not put us to the test” , and has ever since.
I’m going to read your meditation on it properly now – I was just so glad to know that you find it difficult too that I rushed into this reply!
I find much interpretation of New Testement writing is understood in what I call back reading. For example in Luke’s “Lord’s Prayer” (6,9-13), it makes sense when I back read to Luke 4,1-11. Jesus is baptized…”Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.” Why should it be less for me,
God became man to show me how to survive on the “road that leads to life.”
John of the Cross wrote of these temptations in his “Cautions…” of which he said there were three; “namely, the world, the devil and the flesh.” The three Jesus faced in the desert. Flesh…stone into bread, Devil…standing on the “religious” parapet of the temple. World…shown and offered “the kingdom’s of the world”. The latter two are the most striking because the devil “took him”. Jesus allowed himself to be taken by the devil. Jesus did not run away…He Led by the “Spirit”, taken by the devil, showed me how to live on “the way” to life… where my “soul attains to union with God”.
“I wish we had all never seperated.”
Yes, I believe the same. When I give in to God’s will blessings overflow. When I insist on my own way I stumble and fall.
Thanks for that blog, Richard. It is good to hear the traditional lines translated in such an open minded way. Helps me a lot in my daily work!
I sometimes simplify the statement to “Lead us all away from temptation and evil”
Lead us away from self cherishing, ego-clinging and dualistic thinking.
I can’t help but be pulled back into Psalm 23 and the faithfulness of a true shepherd as I read this post. “Lead us” – yes. “Lead us not into temptation”- meaning- keep us close to you in our ignorance and waywardness and deliver us from the “shadow of death” and “mine enemies”.
Excellent, I’ve had the same questions about why that line is in there. Thank you for providing a reasonable solution.
I was delighted to see your response to the phrase “Lead us not into temptation.” I have looked at other translations – French, Spanish & Italian – and the original meaning of the Greek and Aramaic and come up with the phrase, “Leave us not to temptation.” That’s what I say when I pray the Our Father, and it is in rhythm with those who are saying “Lead us not into temptation.”
The gospels were written nearly 2000 years ago and some allowance needs to be made for this and any text needs to be situated in a contemporary (for the writer) context. How did the writer understand what he had written? The good news the gospels announce is the coming of the ‘Kingdom’ which is the theme of so many of Jesus’ parables with their note of the lateness of the hour and the unpreparedness of so many of the characters in them, the bridesmaids, the man who hides his talent with his master already at the door, the servants unaware of their returning master, the man without the wedding gown, the househoder about to be burgled etc etc. Keep awake is the message, the hour is late for the deluge is already at the gates, the rain of fire about to descend and he who has built on sand will be swept away. The Lord’s Prayer is for the kingdom to come, for the bread of the future heavenly banquet to come today. Lead us not into this testing time is the time when the demonic forces as it was understood at the time, would have their last fling. When the great apocalytic upheaval came Jesus promised it would be cut short for the sake of the little band of followers. But it was all to happen soon in some minds. ‘There are those standing here who will not taste death until they have seen the Kingdom/Son of Man come in power…’ Mark Chapter 8 just before chapter 9. Of course it didn’t happen as we know…..The Lord’s Prayer had immediate relevance to this speculation and expectation of the end times. We have lost their sense of the present moment as maybe the last.
we are not put on to a temptation whatsoever.Live as we know it is a proving ground for all of us up to until each one understands that the main reason for staying in here is to awaken and start doing the right things on the right track which leads to the source of all things. if we do wrong the end result would be the same. if you kill with a hammer do not spect to be killed with roses
I have just discovered the blogging although following the daily med for years. I appreciate the struggle And wisdom of so many as we try to make sense of this saying that orinates from a culture and mentality so different from ours. How marvelous the Spirit is. My resolution is this ” keep me loyal to you in all things “
I’ve just discovered your site Father and, having read this, I know I did the right thing in subscribing! I found this meditation very helpful thankyou.
“12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
13 When tempted, no-one should say, God is tempting me. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone [!];
14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” (Epistle of James, ch. 1).
I’ve been confused by this line of the “Our Father”, too and I’m really delighted with reading this blog. I’m wondering if church-goers tend to be sleeping while saying this line.
The Jewish theologian Pinchas Lapide (1922-1997) wrote in his book “Ist die Bibel richtig übersetzt?” [Is the Bible translated correctly?] about this issue: “… bei der Rückübersetzung dieser Fürbitte ins Hebräische stoßen wir hier auf ein Zeitwort “havè”, das vom Verbum “kommen abgeleitet wird und entweder “bringen” oder “führen” oder “kommen lassen” bedeuten kann. Im letzteren Sinn kommt es häufig in der Synagogenliturgie vor, wie z.B. im jüdischen Abendgebet, wo es heißt: Laß mich nicht kommen in die Gewalt der Sünde, noch in die Gewalt der Schuld, noch in die Macht der Versuchung.”
[I'm German aswell, my translation attempt: "When translating this line back into Hebrew, there is the verb "havè", which is derived from the verb "come" and can mean either "bring" or "lead" or "let come". This last meaning is usual in Jewish literature, e.g. in the Jewish evening prayer, where (this very verb) means: Let me not come into the force of sin, nor in the force of guilt, nor in the force of temptation."]
Therefore, it shoud be translated “Lass uns nicht in Versuchung kommen,
bzw. der Versuchung unterliegen.” — Let us not come into temptation. (So the temptation is there, but doesn’t come from God, and we pray not to really “be within” or pulled / dragged into the temptation).
Actually, before I read this, I thought of praying “Führe uns in der Versuchung.”, which would be grammatically just a very small modification having the opposite meaning: “Lead us within / during (the) temptation(s)”, so we don’t pray the tempting situation / temptation away but seek for leading (“assistance”) in this very situation (of temptation) we are to face.
Translation mistake of mine: … Let me not come into the danger of sin, nor the danger … (not: force, 3 times). Sorry!
This is really helpful, Simon. Very relevant to know that the Jewish evening prayer quoted by Lapide states “Let me not fall into … the power of temptation”. It also suggests that the Spanish “No nos dejes caer en la tentación” quoted by others here is more faithful to the original (i.e. “Let us not fall into temptation” rather than “Lead us not into temptation”).
Matthew 4:1 tells us that Jesus was led into the wilderness by Spirit to be tempted by the devil. The language and the idea in the Lord’s Prayer (God leading one of the disciples into a similar ordeal) makes me wonder if the holy request being made is rather to let faith, forgiveness and Jesus’ suffering during his testing suffice for all– perhaps this is the original meaning of atonement? The shattering ordeals, by the hand of God, that transform the lower self into an egoless saint or shaman or sun dancer- the heart of the path of the Perennial Philosophy– are well known.
Yep, I have been perplexed by that one too. The best way I can understand it is, it is like a form of poetry…using a language structure that is not immediately obvious in lending its meaning. We may be being actually invited to grapple with it…’*Could* or *would* God actually lead me into being tempted, or towards evil?’ Who and what IS this mystery we are asked to trust with all of our beings?
You can only find your answers on a daily basis (Give us today our daily bread). Don’t assume, that you actually already ‘know it all’…you’re going to be transformed in your understanding and you need to be in a humble enough mind to situate yourself before the greatest power there is and learn, daily, that the ‘Fear of God leads to understanding’.
You’re also going to make a lot of mistakes. (Forgive me as I Forgive those who hurt me). Again…be humble before this incredible, awesome power and learn, daily, how to love…
God’s love sometimes really, really hurts. It hurts enough that it will allow us to be prodigal sons and daughters, and learn that we can not just depend on our own understanding, wants and desires. And it burns away our dross…and breaks our hearts. Evil is a real thing…and we can go that way if we wish…manipulate God to ‘give us all that is ours’ and be on our merry way.
I think it is essentially calling for humility…a path that is difficult and narrow to the ego-blindsided human heart…but the one that leads to life…
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Interesting, this subject. In 2006 I was given, by a revelation, the words God wants us to use here: “Lead us out of temptation, and deliver us from evil” – Belive it or not – Taste the words and you shall feel the power of them. The words was given to me after a long struggle with the text.
The dark misunderstanding, about 1900 years ago leading to the not God-given Greek original text has caused a lot of trouble for humankind.
I am so pleased to know other people have questioned this line. I cannot say it anymore but instead say ” And lead us when in temptation”. I am also unhappy about the accent on the word sacrifice in the mass so find it difficult to enter into the ‘proclaiming your death Lord Jesus’ stuff. So instead I just mumble something about honouring the sacrifice of Love which You made. I think God knows what I think anyway and what I mean so why are we so bothered about saying the ‘right’ thing?