The Lord's Prayer - Petition 6: Lead Us Not into Temptation
Dr. James Smith
Matthew 6:9-15
16 November 2003
This morning we conclude our series on the Lord’s prayer and as I was thinking about the 6th petition, I have to confess that I was strongly tempted to call Kurtis and have him preach for me.
Ironically, this week was filled with all sorts of trials that made it difficult to concentrate on this petition at hand.
Last Thursday our dog Fritz died. We had had him for nearly 12 years and it was really hard to see him go.
Now normally the Hyde Park obsession with their dogs and cats drives me absolutely “bonkers.” And some of you have be subjected to my semi-annual tirades such as pet owners who allow their dogs to drink right out of the children’s water fountain at Nichols Park.
Because, I don’t care how you cut it, in God’s economy, a human being is more important then an animal. And even the ultra compassionate Mother Teresa herself was shocked one day to find a woman pushing a baby carriage with a well-dressed dog in it.
And I can’t help but believe that there is a spiritual issue of priorities and what we truly value at stake here.
But as Fritz has been so heavily on my family’s hearts and minds this week, Deb & I couldn’t help but realize how much God has taught us and how our 12 years with Fritz had shed light on this 6th petition.
First of all, let me say that the word that is translated temptation could easily lend itself to serious misunderstanding.
After all, we know that Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that “no temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
And James 1:13-14 says even more poignantly, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted with evil nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.”
Perhaps then, it is instructive to know that the Greek word can also be translated as “tests or trials.” And remember that this petition is part of the set concerned with definite human needs.
And as I’ve been thinking about Fritz, a number of tests & trials have come to my mind. These tests & trials began on the same day that we picked him up from the Yonkers animal shelter in New York.
I couldn’t believe that there was a purebred dachshund in his own cage while the rest of the cages were crammed full of mutts. No sooner did I ask why, then he grabbed another dog by the neck when it dared to poke its head into Fritz’ cage.
That combined with a highly unusual ball fetish instantly endeared this spirited little dog to me.
We weren’t even home yet when he threw up all over Deb had wanted a different dog anyway.
Over the next 4 weeks, we found out other reasons why he was in the pound. He insisted on taking his meals from the garbage can as well as soiling the carpet everyday.
I found myself frequently saying, “Lord, lead me not into more tests & trials with this little beast who clearly has an attitude problem.”
I was alternately tempted between either strangling him or taking him back to the doggie jail. But both seemed wrong and after a month of swatting him with a newspaper, he reformed and I thought the testing was over.
But oh no . . . it had only begun . . . soon came the Christmas debacle.
Our first Christmas in New York City was memorable to say the least. We had purchased a brand new living room set and my family from Michigan came out for the holiday.
When Christmas morning came, Fritz was completely emotionally overloaded & he wasn’t thrilled with my brother Scott who had probably teased him. So he hiked his leg and proceeded to urinate on his leg and foot.
But the real temptation to do something evil to the dog came during our beautiful Christmas brunch when out of the corner of my eye, I saw flying fluff in the living room.
Fritz had received one of those crazy looking little trolls with spiky pink hair as a present and proceeded to wedge it under our new $1100 sofa. His dachshund digging instincts kicked into high gear and lets just say that our new couch was no longer new.
(Fritz’ craftsmanship is currently on display in our living room).
While Deb was tempted to drop kick him, little did we know that God was teaching us priceless lessons that would not only benefit us, but our children & those whom we have ministered to.
God has shown us that the tests & trials of today are so often the blessings of tomorrow. After all, we had Fritz before we had our children and I am convinced that frequent temptations, tests and trials of a 16 lb wrecking machine prepared us for the even greater tests and trials of two little boys.
The famous actor W.C. Fields said that there was nothing more difficult in show business then working with animals and children. You simply cannot expect them to be cooperative and on task 100% of the time.
Besides, there is always the distinct temptation to be lazy with animals and children. But such a temptation always leads to evil. Not taking out the dog = a mess. Not rearing children in the fear & admonition of the Lord = an even bigger mess.
Martin Luther said “temptations are like the birds, you can’t keep them from flying around your head, but you can keep them from building nests in your hair.”
And how we respond to the inevitable temptations, tests and trials of life says a lot about where we are psychologically, emotionally and spiritually. Our responses tell us where our heart’s treasure lays.
Because it is wrong and ultimately evil to value inanimate, material things over God’s precious gift of life.
And in those moments that really test us to our limits, if we choose to forgive and to love anyway, every temptation, test and trial that could possibly beset us, can become a tremendous opportunity for spiritual growth.
And it’s so ironic that Fritz seemed to be at his worst during the Christian high holy days. Whether it was stealing candy, toys and balls from the kid’s stockings or jumping up on the table to “scarf” down all the ham rollups and appetizers during Easter dinner to the utter shock and horror of all our guests, at least he was somewhat predictable.
Many family members and friends didn’t like Fritz. One Korean woman even told Deb that if that naughty little dog was hers, she would have eaten him by now. (Needless to say, we never let her keep Fritz while we were on vacation.)
For many, Fritz just seemed to be a big ball of tests, trials and issues waiting to happen. But for us, he was a vehicle used by God to teach us patience, forgiveness, love and understanding.
Remember, God loves to use the tests, trials and even temptations that befall us for His wonderfully mysterious and sanctifying purposes.
Twelve years ago, Deb & I had no idea that Fritz would cost us so much more then the original $70 adoption fee. He would cost us thousands and in ways that we could have never possibly imagined. And you know what . . . we wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Let’s Pray
