They came and, with deceit, questioned Jesus: “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and You do not seek to please anyone, because You show no partiality among people, but in truth You teach the way of God. So tell us, is it lawful to pay tax to Caesar, or not? Should we pay, or should we not pay?”
Their speech was outwardly respectful, but inwardly it concealed hypocrisy. They speak true things about Christ, yet they say them not in faith, but in order to set a trap. The question was dangerous: if He said, ‘Pay the tax,’ they could present Him as an enemy of the people’s freedom, and if He said, ‘Do not pay,’ they could accuse Him of rebellion against Roman authority. But the Lord does not fall into a human political snare. This verse shows that the language of truth can be used with a hypocritical heart, but the Son of God sees the intention hidden behind the words.