Beware of the scribes, who like to walk about in long robes, and who love salutations in the market-places, and first seats in the synagogues, and first places at suppers;
The religious leaders have just tried to trap the Lord with questions, and failed. Now He warns His followers about the scribes, and the warning reaches past them to something that never dies out: using religion to gain notice, rank and comfort.
The warning that follows is aimed at His disciples, though the whole crowd was standing there and could hear it.
So in verses 45 to 47, with all the people listening, the Lord gave a solemn warning about men who claim to be the highest authorities of learning. Notice that although all the people could hear this, He spoke directly to His disciples. Believers must not let men's high claims fool them. The scribes wore long robes to draw attention to themselves, and men's religions copy this today. They loved to be recognised wherever the people gathered. All of this was empty vanity, a thin cover over the fact that they did not know God's Word, did not know how He governs, and did not know His grace. How different was the precious character of the lowly, faithful Son of Man! Being the eternal Son of God, He was entitled to every honour, yet He sought none at all from man.
The four things named are not a random pile of faults. Each one wins a different sort of praise.
These men love display — the "long robes"; public recognition — "greetings in the marketplaces"; religious rank — "the best seats in the synagogues"; social standing — "the places of honor at feasts". They push themselves forward, even at the cost of widows. They also make a show of religion, when "for a pretense" they "make long prayers." How solemn are the Lord's words: "They will receive the greater condemnation." The greater the pretension, the greater the judgment.
The scribes were the recognised teachers. Their fault was not only in what they taught.
The teaching of the scribes fell far short, and their ways were low and bad as well. They loved the honour of men, and religious honour most of all. So they wanted the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at feasts. They chased after everything that added to their comfort and honour in this world.
The three places named — markets, synagogues, feasts — are not three versions of the same setting. One writer, commenting on the same words in Matthew, sorts them into three circles of life.
It was all for the eye of men. At feasts — the social circle. In synagogues — the religious circle. In markets — the business circle. In every one of them they wanted the chief place, as Rabbis and Masters. The disciple of Christ is to be the exact opposite of all this, so let us take it to heart. The humbling of such men is only a matter of time.
Matthew and Luke report this warning at very different lengths, and each Gospel has its own aim.
Matthew devotes a long chapter to the scribes' position, their complete failure, and the stern judgment waiting for them from God — men whose religion was all outward form. Mark and Luke only touch on the matter. Mark treats it as a falsifying of service, Luke on moral ground, for the teaching of disciples. Whatever is specially Jewish, in title or in forms and habits, drops out of sight. What Mark and Luke record is not loving service but selfishness and hypocrisy, and it is all the worse because it dishonours God's name.
One writer carries the warning over to the clothes and titles used by those who serve God today.
We also never read of the ministers of Christ — evangelists, pastors or teachers — wearing any special collar or clothes. These departures from New Testament simplicity, in dress or in title, come from pagan sources. Everyone who puts the word of the Lord first should avoid them.
- Beware — the Lord warns His disciples out loud, in front of the crowd, so that no believer is fooled by high claims and impressive learning.
- Robes — the scribes wore long robes to draw attention; special dress and titles for ministers have no place in the New Testament.
- Seats — markets, synagogues and feasts cover business, religion and social life; the scribes wanted the top place in all three.
- Cost — this hunger for honour and comfort was not harmless vanity. It went as far as devouring widows' houses, and it draws the greater condemnation.
- Contrast — the disciple of Christ is to be the exact opposite, following the One who was entitled to every honour and sought none from man.
who devour the houses of widows, and as a pretext make long prayers. These shall receive a severer judgment.
The Lord closes His warning about the scribes with two verses. He moves from robes and greetings to something darker: men who stripped widows bare while making a show of prayer. What does it mean to "devour widows' houses," and why is their sentence heavier than other people's?
The scribes' arrogance had a partner: greed.
Greed was another evil principle tied to that arrogance — a greed with no pity even for widows. Israel's leaders should have cared for them. Instead they devoured their houses; that is, they made themselves rich at the widows' expense. At the same time their long public prayers were a show, meant to impress those same people.
Sorrow was their opening.
They devour widows' houses — that is, they take advantage even of people's sorrows, which left those people more completely under their influence. Along with this there was a great show of religion: they made long prayers as a pretence.
Position came first. Money was the reason for it.
Once they had gained the leading position, they used it to make themselves rich at the expense of widows, the most defenceless group in the community. Getting power and money was the whole aim and purpose of their religion. They followed "the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing" (2 Peter 2:15); and there are far too many in our day who still walk that evil road.
Prayer was the cover for the robbery — and one writer turns that into a warning for us.
What is more, they used their position to rob the poor and defenceless widow. They covered this outrage with a parade of long prayers. So they would receive a severer judgment. Long prayers may impress the crowd, but they did not impress the Lord! Let us remember this and avoid them ourselves. We dare to say that no one with deep desire, truly aware of God's presence, can wander about in a maze of words. As Ecclesiastes 5:2 shows, his words must be few.
Each item in the list is another way of being seen.
The exposure of the leaders is followed by the Lord's warning against people who made a great show of religion, but whose one motive was to exalt themselves. Such people love display — "long robes"; public recognition — "greetings in the marketplaces"; religious standing — "the best seats in the synagogues"; social status — "the places of honor at feasts"; self-advancement, even at the expense of widows; and religious show, when "for a pretense" they "make long prayers." How solemn are the Lord's words: "They will receive the greater condemnation." The greater the show, the greater the judgment.
Older English Bibles read "greater damnation" here. That word has narrowed in meaning since.
When the Bible was translated into English, the word "damnation" was used more loosely than it is now. "Damnation" is used often in the English New Testament for judgment, as in Matthew 23:14; Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47… Now, even if this "judgment" is everlasting condemnation, the word still means judgment.
Before He measured the sentence, the Lord named what these men were.
They were hypocrites of the worst kind, using religion as a cloak to cover their self-seeking and greed. He unmasked them and pronounced their doom. He did not speak of a longer damnation, as though judgment were limited by time and not eternal. But He did speak of greater damnation, showing that judgment will differ in its severity.
The story does not stop at the chapter break. What happens next at the temple treasury belongs with these words.
We must not let the chapter break separate these opening verses in our minds from the last two verses of Luke 20. The widow was likely one of those whose "house" had been devoured. Yet instead of complaining, she put her last two small coins into the temple treasury. In these circumstances her gift was a great one, and the Lord said so. She went to the very limit; she gave everything she had.
- Devour — The scribes made themselves rich at the expense of widows. Sorrow put those women under their influence.
- Disguise — Long prayers were the covering. Length impressed the crowd, never the Lord. A person truly aware of God's presence does not wander through a maze of words.
- Motive — Robes, greetings, seats, feasts, money, prayer: one motive, self, dressed as religion. Power and money were the point of it all.
- Greater — The Lord said greater judgment, not longer. Judgment differs in severity: the greater the show, the greater the judgment.
- Contrast — In the very next verses a widow, likely one of the robbed, gives everything she has. The Lord called that small gift great.