Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (Matthew 6:9-13).

God makes it clear through James (James 1:13) that he does not tempt us.  But this prayer takes it a step further.  Jesus asks God not even to take us to the place where we may be tempted by, as James says, “Our own evil desires.”

Of which we have so many.

I can’t help but notice the difference between the two verbs.  Lead us not into temptation.  The word lead is passive—it requires us to follow.  We’re not being dragged by a chain, after all.

Yet

Jesus knows, however, that we will not always follow the Father’s lead.  We will wander off on our own, and end up in the places where, according to James, we will be “dragged away and enticed.”

Which requires the second verb.

Deliver.

There is nothing passive about deliver.  It’s about as active as you get.  When we are “dragged away…” we are unable to free ourselves.  Our enemy is stronger than we are.  But thanks be to God.  He is our deliverer.  He—and only he—is strong enough, brave enough, and merciful enough to come and rescue us from the danger we knowingly put ourselves in.

Because he loves us.

Whaddaya say we try to minimize the number of rescues required today, eh Beloved?

Let’s play Follow the Leader.