Finally, Jesus says when we talk to the Father about the family, ask him for protection. "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."

If we don't ask for this, is God going to lead us into temptation? It's a difficult question. I take it as what grammarians call a litotes--state something negatively in order to say something positive.

A couple of months ago I was having lunch in one of those New York delicatessens. Right next to me were two women, evidently Jewish. One was describing to the other the young man her daughter was going to marry. He had completed medical school and had a good practice. He came from a very good family, and she would marry into prestige and wealth.

The other woman listened to all of this and said, "He's not objectionable, is he?" No, he wasn't objectionable. Stating negatively, she was saying positively, "Boy, she's got a good catch."