But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you testing Me, hypocrites? Bring Me a denarius, so that I may see it.”
Christ exposes their hypocrisy not only by His answer, but by showing the true nature of the question. He knew their thoughts and was not misled by their fine words. The command to bring the denarius became a visible lesson: He wanted the coin in their own hands to testify about their responsibility. This shows the wisdom of Christ’s teaching: He not only replies, but answers in such a way that those who question Him are bound, by their own evidence, to accept the truth.