One of the most well-known prayers in the world and among all religions, even for non-practising Christians, is the Lord’s Prayer. The “Our Father” is a go-to prayer for anyone who wants to connect with their Christian roots. And, so, it is beloved for many.

One line in the prayer has achieved notoriety, especially since the English-language “contemporary” version of the Lord’s Prayer was introduced some decades ago now: Replacing “Lead us not into temptation” are the words: “Save us from the time of trial.” As you know I prefer and have promoted the newer words. But during Sundays in Lent this year, I invite us to reconsider and re-connect with the traditional version and focus today on that particular line, “Lead us not into temptation.”

In this Lenten Sunday sermon series on the Lord’s Prayer, and on this First Sunday in Lent whose assigned Gospel is Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, I skip ahead to start with this line about temptation. Mark’s version, of course, is the shortest of all the Gospels.[1] Immediately after Jesus’ baptism, “the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness”. In other words, Jesus was led into a time of trial.

And that’s where I’d like us to pause and reflect, on the word, “led”. In the Lord’s Prayer, “Lead us …”. Willing to be led, means to follow the leader, to trust the leader.

This version from the Gospel of Mark is first the story of Jesus’ life and journey to the cross. It is the story of his willing to be led. Right from his baptism Jesus was driven out into the wilderness.

To do so, Jesus trusted his “Father”. Trusting God meant Jesus needed to be vulnerable and open – which was the way to salvation in his moment of temptation in the wilderness. Because eventually he would experience the wilderness of the cross. For Christ, and for those who follow Jesus, wilderness experiences are the only way to resurrection and new life.

When we pray, “Lead us not into temptation,” it is also the story of our humanity. In praying those words, we are not saying we believe that God wants us to fail, that God’s purpose is malevolent and mean. When we pray, “Lead us not into temptation” we recognize our vulnerability and humanity. Our humanity naturally resists painful experience and suffering. We resist change because it will often disrupt our lives. We do not go willingly even where we know we need to go.

Life happens. And we have no choice but to endure the momentary affliction. And often those trials will reveal a momentary grace as well. Grace is often hidden. Grace often comes unbidden.

We cannot bypass suffering on the road to healing, wholeness, and new life. We cannot avoid pain in this life? And trying to avoid and resist it when it comes often causes even more suffering, usually for others. In those words–“Lead us not into temptation”–we pray a sort of confession, an honesty.

“Lead us not into temptation” is indeed a confession of faith. Because we confess our trust in God, that Jesus has been there, that Jesus is with us through our trials, that Jesus doesn’t abandon us, in our wilderness experiences and temptations where we often do fail and fall. What comfort it is to trust and know that our Divine leader is right there with us in our desert journeys.

What God would do this? In the end, we must wonder, and wonder, about this God, in Christ Jesus. What leader would do this, who empathizes and identifies with us in our suffering—whatever that suffering is?

During the first years of the German occupation of Denmark (1940-1943), Danish authorities insisted that Denmark had “no Jewish problem”. The so-called Nuremberg Laws from Nazi Germany had no hold on the Danes—those laws were not implemented in Denmark.[2] For example, there was no requirement that Jews had to wear the yellow star of David to identify themselves in public, as they were forced to do in other countries under the Nazis.

A story of the Danish King, Christian X, has achieved legendary status. German officials arriving in Denmark put pressure on the King to enact a law to have every one of the eight thousand Jews in Denmark wear a yellow star of David to identify them in public. This would be the start of the de-humanizing strategy of the Nazis in Denmark against the Jews.

The King, a Christian and a fervent supporter and ally of the Jews, was beloved by all Danes and respected internationally. But he was caught in a predicament between his moral stance and political pressure. What would he do?

The popular legend has it he appeared the next day riding his horse on the main street in Copenhagen wearing a star of David on his coat. His public defiance against Nazi discrimination caught fire. Soon all non-Jewish Danes were wearing a star of David whenever they went out, in show of support for their Jewish neighbours.

For whom among us does not deserve justice and equality? Any evil attempts to judge, segregate and punish people simply for being who they are is a temptation that undermines the freedom of all people. We cannot assert our own freedom without asserting everyone else’s freedom. Everyone else’s.

Otherwise, all we are doing is defending our privilege, which was not the choice King Christian X of Denmark made by donning the yellow star. He chose not to defend his stature and privilege as King. He chose to defend freedom for everyone, and consequently made himself vulnerable.

This legend helps me understand a little bit more about what Jesus did for us when he was led out into the wilderness. He was identifying with our broken humanity and took on our nature—in order to love us more.

What I love most about the Lord’s Prayer is that it is a force for unity and communion, in our congregation, in the church, and in the world today. It is a prayer that serves to remind Christians that we all participate in the mission of our Lord Jesus Christ. It serves to remind us that though we have differences, we don’t allow those differences to divide us. Rather, we can work together to ensure the freedom and inherent dignity of all people. In the name of Jesus.

Lead us, Lord, lead us. And may we follow, in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

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[1] Mark 1:9-15

[2] Kernberg, O. & Goldberger, L. (1987). The Rescue of the Danish Jews: Moral Courage Under Stress (L. Goldberger, Ed.). New York University Press, pp. 187-188, 200.