May 23, 2024

Today’s Reading: The Lord’s Prayer – Sixth Petition

Daily Lectionary: Numbers 24:1-25; Luke 23:1-25

And lead us not into temptation.

What does this mean? God tempts no one. We pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although we are attacked by these things, we pray that we may finally overcome them and win the victory.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Let’s be honest. You’re no stranger to temptation. You go to school, you’re tempted. Maybe you’ve seen other kids pass around something on their phones that, well, let’s just say you hope your parents never see. Go on the internet lately? It’s a temptation factory. Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, Facebook, all of them serve up hot and fresh temptation; ready rabbit holes for you to fall into. Maybe you’ve given up the internet. But your sinful flesh is able (and ready) to whip up some homegrown temptation. You can run, but you can’t hide, it seems. Temptation is everywhere, and you’ve fallen into it. And you’ve fallen into it deep. 

And so what to do? The old evil foe (that’s Satan) wants you to isolate and try to tackle it yourself. He’ll whisper to you that “you’ve got this, no need to drag anyone else into it. God doesn’t need to know, you can do this.” This, like anything else Satan says, is a lie. Satan loves for you to cut yourself off and descend into the “do it yourself” rabbit hole. It’s great for your house, but not for your soul. Sinful man needs something better than to endlessly gaze inwards. That’s how we wind up in despair, again and again. 

Christ brings the medicine of immortality. This medicine is the antidote for temptation and the sin that is sure to follow. Do not turn in on yourself, dear Christian. Turn instead to the Great Physician. Temptation is everywhere, and make no mistake, you will fall into it. But Christ brings that forgiveness. This forgiveness is the medicine for temptation, and for sin. It’s not just a theoretical forgiveness either. You can hear this forgiveness. Every Sunday, you hear the man who stands in the stead of Christ say “I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lead not into temptation, Lord,  Where our grim foe and all his horde  Would vex our souls on ev’ry hand.  Help us resist, help us to stand  Firm in the faith, a mighty host, Through comfort of the Holy Ghost. (LSB 766:7)

-Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.

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