Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/593

 outwardly appear  to  men  beautiful,  but  within  are  full  of  dead  men’s bones and  of  all  filthiness. So you  also  outwardly,  indeed,  appear to men  just,  but  inwardly  you  are  full  of  hypocrisy  and  iniquity!” (See chapter  LIX.)

Peter’s Superiority. The  manner  in  which  Christ  associates  Peter with Himself  in  paying  the  tribute,  is  most  marked  and  striking. It is a part  of  the  gracious  design  that  our  Lord  had  upon  him  in  the  future. [See chapters  XXXVI  and  LXXXII.]

Divinity of  Christ. Our  Lord  claims  to  be  the  Son  of  Him  to whom  the  Temple  belongs,  that  is,  God  the  Father. As the  kings  of the  earth  do  not  exact  tribute  from  their  own  children,  so  neither  does God from  His  own  Son.

Avoiding of  scandal.  Our  Lord’s  example  shows  us  that  we  must avoid even  the  appearance  of  giving  a bad  example. He would  have been quite  justified  in  refusing  to  pay  the  Temple  tax,  but  He  did  not refuse lest  He  should  scandalize  the  weak  and  ignorant.

That which  is  most  important.  Whenever  our  Lord  pronounced  a “woe”  on  any  one,  He  signified  that  such  an  one  was  worthy  of  the everlasting punishment  of  hell,  and  therefore  He  wound  up  His  denunciation of  the  Pharisees  (of  which  only  a portion  is  given  above) by these  words:  “You  serpents  1 How  will  you  flee  from  the  judgment of hell?”  (Mat.  23,  33.)  But  why  did  our  Lord  threaten  the  Pharisees with everlasting  punishment? Because they  transgressed  all  the  most  important precepts  of  the  law  without  shame  and  without  conscience,  and were, all  the  same,  most  scrupulous  in  their  minute  observance  of  the less important  commandments. Our Lord  enumerates  the  duties  of justice,  mercy  and  faith  as  those  which  are  of  most  importance,  and  the Pharisees sinned  most  glaringly  against  these  by  their  oppression  of widows  and  orphans,  by  their  unjust  extortions,  and  by  their  refusal  to believe  anything  that  they  did  not  wish  to  believe.

Hypocrisy. Above all,  the  Pharisees  were  hypocrites,  because  they set themselves  up  for  being  outwardly  just  and  God-fearing  men,  whereas their hearts  were  full  of  evil  and  injustice,  and  without  any  true  fear of God. Hypocrisy or  dissimulation  is  a lie,  and  is,  therefore,  a sin against the  eighth  Commandment.

If you  want  to  know  yourself  (and  without self-knowledge  there  can  be  no  amendment  of  life),  ask  yourself what it  is  that  most  easily  disturbs  you. Do you  feel  sad  when others are  praised  or  rewarded? Do you  feel  glad  when  they  are blamed or  punished? If so,  you  are  full  of  selfishness  and  envy.