Rabbi, how should we pray?
Pray in this manner . . .
Our Father, who art in Heaven . . . and lead us not
into temptation . . .
Why would God lead us into temptation?
Actually, this is a matter of translation that can be
confusing. We are asking God to not allow us to yield to
temptation.
Sins come from consenting to
temptation. We ask God not to lead us into temptation, meaning "do not
allow us to enter" or "do not let us yield to" temptation. God
cannot be tempted and he tempts no one. This petition asks him to block our way
into temptation and to give us the Spirit of discernment.
The Spirit helps us to know the difference between trials
(needed for our spiritual growth) and temptations (which lead to death). We
also discern between "being tempted" and "consenting to
temptation" realizing that some things seem desirable but their fruit is
death. "There is a certain usefulness to temptation. We discover our evil
inclinations" (Origen).
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