Matthew 23:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Next the Lord rebukes them for their gluttony, and what was the worst, that not from the rich but from widows they took wherewith to fill their bellies, thus burdening the poverty of those whom they should have relieved.

He designates the Pharisees as hypocrites, as they exhibited outward devotion while failing to embody its true essence; instead, their lengthy prayers were accompanied by the exploitation of widows’ homes. They were fraudsters who ridiculed and cheated the vulnerable. Their punishment will be severe for consuming the resources of widows, whom they ought to have assisted and supported in their time of need. Alternatively, they will face grave repercussions for their wickedness, seizing the possessions of widows under the guise of righteousness—namely, prayer. It is the one who deceives while pretending to be virtuous who warrants the harshest judgment.

We refer to them as hypocrites in a broad sense, as they display a facade of holiness and virtue. They are seen as hypocrites, acting as though they possess genuine piety and righteousness. While approaching them under the guise of protection, they instead further exploited and depleted the resources of those in need. They are guilty of offering prayers that lack true sincerity. To plunder the possessions of widows, they engaged in extensive prayers so as to portray themselves as devout and deserving of honor. For this reason, condemnation will be your fate. Entering as supposed protectors but departing as destroyers, and praying excessively due to gluttony, you will face the severest judgment.

Or, because their observance of the kingdom of heaven proceeds hence, that they may keep up their practice of going about to widows’ houses, they shall therefore receive the heavier judgment, as having their own sin and the ignorance of others to answer for.

The female sex tends to be perceived as naive and pliable. They often neglect to approach situations with discernment, as not every sight or sound prompts a reasonable response; they are also easily influenced, shifting from virtue to vice or vice versa. In contrast, men are regarded as more vigilant and steadfast. They exercise caution, evaluating everything they observe through a lens of reason; they are less likely to waver from righteousness to wrongdoing or abandon what is good for what is evil, since they are directed by rational thought. Hence, their steadfastness stems from their greater reasonableness. This discussion highlights the tendency of women to be imprudent and susceptible.

WOE TO YOU, SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES, FOR YOU DEVOUR THE HOMES OF WIDOWS. It is insufficient for you wealthy individuals; you have no regard for the impoverished, and through deception and falsehood, you deprive defenseless widows of their last morsels of sustenance instead of easing their hardship. What is most egregious, however, is that you disguise this exploitation with the lowest cunning, by engaging in PUBLIC PRAYER IN A SHOWY FASHION, and through this facade of devotion gain the trust of the common people, especially women, only to brazenly rob them under the guise of piety, ridiculing their innocence! ‘If everyone who commits wrongdoing deserves punishment,’ observes St. Chrysostom, ‘what severe retribution awaits you, who don the semblance of righteousness while concealing your wicked acts: FOR THERE WILL BE THEM MORE CONVICTED. You ought to be supporting the destitute widows, yet you instead bring them offense.

Following these events, the Lord departed from the temple, issuing a solemn condemnation directed at the Pharisees and the temple priests who had led the people into corruption, while warning them of impending divine judgment. As He concluded His earthly mission, He proclaimed that He would continue His work among them through His messengers; however, the Pharisees would harass these individuals, as well as the earlier witnesses of the truth, thereby compounding the sins of their forefathers. Consequently, the judgement of God would be made manifest against the wickedness of Jerusalem.

The second aspect pertains to avarice, which seeks fulfillment through unscrupulous actions such as deceit and the exploitation of widows. In their efforts to appear righteous, the Pharisees engage in lengthy, showy prayers. This feigned devotion cleverly secures the trust of others, allowing them to extract wealth under various deceptive pretenses.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you seek to portray yourselves as righteous by lingering in false prayer, and you endeavor to win the trust of widows and the needy through your insincere piety, even as you unscrupulously exploit their last belongings under the guise of offerings for the work of God. If all are at risk of judgment for such actions, what then awaits you, who veil your sins behind a façade of feigned holiness and artificial virtue?

“Devouring the homes of widows”—this refers to the act of taking advantage of widows or those in need by deceitfully presenting oneself as pious, thereby winning their trust and exploiting them without remorse under the guise of spirituality. The act of ‘praying at great length’ highlights the outcome of such hypocrisy—see the commentary on Matthew 6:5. ‘For this’—for the act of exploiting the poor and for insincere prayers, ‘you shall incur the most serious judgment,’ both in this life and in the life to come (cf. commentary on Matthew 6:5). The Lord does not criticize lengthy prayers per se, but rather those that are merely for appearance's sake, meant to gain the admiration of others.

The second lamentation addresses their unquenchable greed, masked by false righteousness. To fulfill their desire for wealth, they showed no mercy even to vulnerable widows and orphans. By infiltrating the trust of unsuspecting individuals with their elaborate and showy prayers, they took control of their consciences and possessions, shamelessly robbing them of their final resources. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you consume the homes of widows and offer lengthy prayers insincerely; for this, you shall face judgment.