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Explanation for:
Matthew
23
:
14
Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: because you devour the houses of widows, praying long prayers. For this you shall receive the greater judgment.
10
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"With these statements, the Savior begins to admonish the teachers of the law and the Pharisees for their indulgence, and even more grievously, for filling their stomachs not with the treasures of the affluent but with the resources of the widows, thereby worsening their plight rather than easing it. They consumed not merely for sustenance but ravenously. This predation was further cloaked in deceitful pretense, as evidenced by their inclination to \\"pray hypocritically long prayers.\\" Anyone who commits wrongdoing merits retribution; however, those who don a facade of piety to mask their malicious actions face a far greater chastisement. Why did the Savior not strip the scribes and Pharisees of their honor? Because the appointed hour had not yet arrived. Thus, He allowed them to persist until that time. Through His rebuke, He safeguards the people from deceit, ensuring that they do not blindly emulate the elevated status of the scribes. Previously, He instructed, “Whatever they command you to observe, observe it” (Matthew 23:3), but now, to prevent the unlearned from interpreting this as a blanket endorsement, He clarifies how the scribes distort the law."},{"author-name":"Anonymous Commentary (Opus Imperfectum)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":4,"exegesis-text":"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. \\n\\nConsequently, charlatans who masquerade as virtuous individuals are often attracted to women, as their discerning capacity is diminished due to their innate naïveté and an inclination to be swayed by superficial piety. There are primarily two reasons why these deceivers prefer the company of widows. First, a woman with a husband is less vulnerable to deceit, as she has his counsel to rely upon and is less likely to squander her possessions since she operates under his authority. On the other hand, widows lack such counsel, making them more susceptible to manipulation as they are able to give freely without accountability. This is why Jesus, in his condemnation of the Jewish leaders, cautioned his followers to limit their association with widows compared to others, as even in the absence of malice, suspicions could arise."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"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."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"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. Everyone who transgresses deserves punishment, yet those who commit a righteous act with the intention of enabling sin will be punished even more harshly. He mourns for them and admonishes them, instructing the people to avoid being misled and to refrain from emulating their misguided actions."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"“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."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"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."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"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?"},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"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. As Blessed Theophylact explains, they faced condemnation for their severe callousness towards those deserving of compassion, who ‘should have been aided in their distress,’ and for their actions that masqueraded as virtuous—prayer—because one who commits wrongdoing while pretending to do good is indeed deserving of profound condemnation."},{"author-name":"Bogolepow D.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"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."},{"author-name":"Alexander Gorsky","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8884037c1e1c51e1332e2_Alexander%20Gorsky.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"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."}]}
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