Rescue from the evil one (or just evil)?
A subtle translation that changes how we pray
In the original Greek, the end of The Lord’s Prayer ends with a phrase that could be translated one of two ways:
“Rescue us from the evil one”
“Rescue us from evil”
These might seem basically the same, but there is a subtle difference.
Whether Jesus is asking us to pray for rescue from an evil person or being…or from all kinds of evil.
In general, I would like to think that we need to be rescued from all kinds of evil…whether brought on by a being, ourselves, or even those we love and trust the most.
Because this isn’t a prayer for protection…but a prayer to be saved and rescued from the evil we already know is coming.
And when you stop praying to be rescued from an evil being (the devil), it opens you up to being able to recognize your own evil and the evil of those around you.
It forces you to take responsibility (or remind you of the responsibility of others).
So to pray for rescue “from evil” instead of “from the evil one” puts you in a posture of recognizing that you DO need to pray “forgive me for my sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.”
These are two parts of the same thought.
Forgiveness and evil. Sins/debts and rescue.
My prayer for today
Our Father, help remind me that I have evil inside me. My thoughts and desires can naturally lean toward wronging you or others. Don’t let me forget to seek forgiveness for my sins. And help us to forgive those transgressions in others. Amen.
Remember
You might need rescued from yourself. Recognize the sin that pops up in your life, ask for forgiveness, ask for rescue from that evil within you. And be willing to forgive (though, not necessarily forget) those evil and sinful actions of others.