Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 22:18

"But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why make ye trial of me, ye hypocrites?" — Matthew 22:18 (ASV)

Our great thought-reading King was not to be deceived either by their flattery or their crafty questioning.

But Jesus perceived their wickedness, for it was wickedness indeed, and to an extreme degree. Malice and deceit designed His overthrow, but He saw through the cunning of His enemies and perceived the wickedness that prompted them to assail Him in this way.

Onlookers may not have perceived their wickedness, and our Lord’s disciples may have been puzzled as to how He would reply; but as in all other trying circumstances, Jesus Himself knew what He would do.

Probably even His enemies did not expect such a question as He now put to them: “Why do you tempt Me, you hypocrites?” They hoped that they had disguised their real purpose so cleverly that they must have been surprised to have the mask so quickly torn from their faces and to be exposed to public gaze in their true character as “hypocrites.” Jesus compared them to stage-players, dissemblers—men acting a false part with intent to deceive.

Rightly did He name them, and wisely did He say to them, “Why do you tempt Me?” It is as if He had said, “You see that I am not deceived by your false and flattering speeches. I can read the malice that is written in your hearts; you are simply powerless before Me if I choose to treat you as I am able to. What can poor, puny creatures, such as you are, do against Me? Why do you tempt Me?”

There is infinite scorn in our Savior’s question, yet there is an undertone of pity even for those who did not deserve it: “Why do you tempt Me? Have I given you any reason why you should seek to entrap Me? Why are you so foolish as to ask questions that must lead to your own harm?”

Whenever people pretend great reverence for Jesus and then seek, by their erroneous teaching or their “science falsely so-called,” to overthrow His Gospel, they are base hypocrites.