There is a certain amount of hand wringing among those who care about such things that the Pope seems to want to rewrite the Lord’s Prayer. Evidently he doesn’t like that bit about “lead us not into temptation”. Being the “papa” that he is there is a certain amount of concern for “his children” worrying that God might lead them astray. He is also trying to defend Jesus at the hint that God is a tempter like the devil. Once again, 500 years too late. Luther was way ahead of him.
Luther’s Explanation to the 6th Petition.
The Sixth Petition
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.
So Pope, rest easy. Let the handwringing cease. Everybody take a deep breath and get a catechism of Luther. Concordia Publishing House sells them.
