The Pharisees were falsely defferential to Jesus: ‘Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any. Tell us then, what do You think?...’
For their miscalculation, Jesus had strong words: “Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites?”
How nice these people were to pay such kind tribute to Jesus. The Son of God must have appreciated their attention to etiquette and enjoyed the comments they lavished upon Him. The Pharisees and their “disciples… along with the Herodians” prefaced their conversation with the customary praise due a man of Jesus’ caliber. They bowed. They smiled. They deferred to the Master. These men were leaders. They were role-models. They were intelligent. They were respectable. They were sweet and proper.
They were liars.
