# Be Ready - Sunday, 2025.11.30 ## And lead us not into temptation What does it look like to be led? If you are led into temptation, is that a form of leadership? Can / does God lead us into temptation? But before we talk about being led, let's discuss temptation. What is temptation? What does it look like to be led into temptation? I'll re-ask a question from the previous paragraph, "Can / does God lead us into temptation?" Attempting to understand the Greek word, "peirasmos" tests my thinking ability. It occurs 21 times in the New Testament and is translated into temptation, trials, trial as well as testing. According to the Greek scholars at https://biblehub.com, both senses temptation and / or test can apply _simultaneously_ (depending on the context). The positive sense ("test") and negative sense ("temptation") are functions of the context (not merely the words themselves). Some of the more noteworthy occurrences (but isn't All scripture noteworthy??): - In the garden at Gethsemane, Jesus told Peter to watch and pray that he wouldn't enter into temptation {Matthew 26.41, Mark 14.38 & Luke 22.40} - Jesus spent 40 days & nights in the wilderness being tempted by the devil {Matthew 4.1-11, Mark 1.12-13 & Luke 4.1-13} - All of us get tempted (even Jesus), but God always provides an escape plan {1 Corinthians 10.13} - The desire to be rich is a source of temptation {1 Timothy 6.9-10} - According to James, we are to be joyful when we encounter trials because if we persevere, then we will receive the crown of life {James 1.2 & 12} - We shouldn't be surprised by the fiery trials {1 Peter 4.12} ### tl;dr Temptation is kinda like a science experiment where everyone is a liar and your job is to avoid falling into their trap ## Disciple's Prayer & Epilogue So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours. {Matthew 6.9-15 (BSB)}