We see in this passage that men may show some outward respect to Christ, and yet remain unconverted. The Pharisee before us is a case in point. He showed our Lord Jesus Christ more respect than many did. He even "desired Him that He would eat with him." Yet all this time he was profoundly ignorant of the nature of Christ's Gospel. His proud heart secretly revolted at the sight of a poor contrite sinner being allowed to wash our Lord's feet. And even the hospitality he showed appears to have been cold and niggardly. Our Lord Himself says, "Thou gavest me no water for my feet : — thou gavest me no kiss : — my head with oil thou didst not anoint." In short, in all that the Pharisee did, there was one great defect. There was outward civility, but there was no heart-love.
We shall do well to remember the case of this Pharisee. It is quite possible to have a decent form of religion, and yet to know nothing of the Gospel of Christ, — to treat Christianity with respect, and yet to be utterly blind about its cardinal doctrines, — to behave with great correctness and propriety at Church, and yet to hate justification by faith, and salvation by grace, with a deadly hatred. Do we really feel affection toward the Lord Jesus ? Can we say, " Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee?" Have we cordially embraced His whole Gospel ? Are we willing to enter heaven side by side with the chief of sinners, and to owe all our hopes to free grace? — ^These are questions which we ought to consider. If we cannot answer them satisfactorily, we are in no respect better