Devouring Widow's Houses and Pretentious Long Prayer - Matthew 23:14

Matthew the apostle wrote how Jesus said, “woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves, neither suffer you them that are entering to go in”, and in chapter twenty-three and verse fourteen of his book Matthew shared how Jesus said the scribes and Pharisees, “devour widow's houses, and for a pretense make long prayer” where we read:

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore you shall receive the greater damnation.

The verse reads, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayer:”. Matthew began with the words, “woe unto you” which is “an expression of grief or denunciation to the religious leaders who are” “scribes” which refers to “men who are learned in the Mosaic law and in the sacred writings as interpreters and teachers” “and Pharisees” or “the sect that seems to have started after the Jewish exile. In addition to Old Testament books the Pharisees recognized in oral tradition a standard of belief and life”, “hypocrites” which refers to “actors, stage players, dissemblers and pretenders”! “for you devour” or “because, since and on account that the scribes and Pharisees consume, squander, waste, forcibly appropriate and eat up” “widow's houses” which means “the homes of women whose husbands have died”, “and for a pretense” which means “and as a show, pretext, alleged reason and pretended cause” “make long prayer” or “offer extended times of supplication, worship and prayer to God”. Matthew shared how the “scribes and Pharisees” were “stage actors” who “forcibly appropriated” the homes of “widows” and “prayed” a long time so people would notice them.

The verse goes on to say, “therefore you shall receive the greater damnation.” Matthew added the word, “therefore” which means “then, wherefore, accordingly and consequently” “you shall receive” which means “the scribes and Pharisees would claim, procure, seize and apprehend” “the greater damnation” or “the exceeding abundant, supreme, more eminent, extraordinary and further decree of judgment and condemnation of wrong”. Matthew shared how Jesus told the “scribes and Pharisees” they would “apprehend” the “extraordinary and more eminent” condemnation because of their pretentious actions.

When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see how the “scribes and Pharisees” would not avoid the repercussions for their behavior. God knows the “ways” of every person, and when someone pretends to be “religious” and instructs others in “righteousness”, their actions, attitudes and activities” should reflect their professions. God knows the “posers and fakes”, and those who choose to be “stage actors” will not get away with what they practice. May all who read these words understand that God knows every person, and His desire is to save them from their sins through the death of His Son Jesus upon the cross. All others shall be exposed for who they really are, and woe be to the person who falls under His “greater damnation”.

Next time we see Matthew write how Jesus shares how the scribes and Pharisees, “compass seas and land to make one proselyte … and make him twofold the child of hell”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.