Who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these shall receive greater condemnation.
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Bede
AD 735
To walk in long clothing is to go forth into public clad in garments too much ornamented, in which amongst other things, that rich man, who fared sumptuously every day, is said to have sinned.
But they do not only seek for praise from men, but also for gain. Where there follows, “Which devour widows’ houses, under the pretence of long prayers.” For there are men who pretending to be just hesitate not to receive money from persons who are troubled in conscience, as though they would be their advocates in the judgment. A hand stretched outto the poor is always an accompaniment to prayer, but these men pass the night in prayer, that they may take away money from the poor.
Who devour, Gr. οί κατεσθίοντες, i.e, who altogether consume and lick up the houses of widows, both by reason of the sumptuous feasts which they ask of them, as well as by the gifts and money which they avariciously extort from them under the pretext of offering prayers for them. "When, therefore," says Bede, "the hand is stretched out to the poor, it is wont to help prayer; but those men passed whole nights in prayer that they might take from the poor."
These shall receive greater judgment. A severer sentence of God, and a heavier condemnation shall press upon the Scribes in the day of judgment, because by a pretence of probity they are aiming at wrong-doing; and being clothed in the garments of God, they are fighting on the devil"s side. "Simulated holiness," says S. Chrysostom, "is a double iniquity."
After confuting the Scribes and Pharisees, He burns up as a fire their dry and withered examples. Wherefore it is said, “And He said unto them in His doctrine, Beware of the Scribes, which love to go in long clothing.”
But they used to walk in honourable garments, because they wished to be highly esteemed for it, and inlike manner they desired other things, which lead to glory. For it goes on: “And love salutations in the marketplaces, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts.”.
He also especially teaches the Apostles, not to have any communication with the scribes, but to imitate Christ Himself; and in ordaining them to be masters in the duties of life, He places others under them.
But the Scribes used to cometo women, who were left without the protection of their husbands, as though they were their protectors; and by a pretence of prayer, a reverend exterior and hypocrisy, they used to deceive widows, and thus also devour the houses of the rich. It goes on: “These shall receive a greaterdamnation,” that is, than the other Jews, who sinned.
