"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation." The Pharisees had great influence with the people, and of this they took advantage to serve their own interests. They gained the confidence of pious widows, and then represented it as a duty for them to devote their property to religious purposes. Having secured control of their money, the wily schemers used it for their own benefit. To cover their dishonesty, they offered long prayers in public, and made a great show of piety. This hypocrisy Christ declared would bring them the greater damnation. The same rebuke falls upon many in our day who make a high profession of piety. Their lives are stained by selfishness and avarice, yet they throw over it all a garment of seeming purity, and thus for a time deceive their fellow men. But they cannot deceive God. He reads every purpose of the heart, and will judge every man according to his deeds.

Ve jer, I skriftkloge og farisæere, I hyklere! thi I opæder enkers bo og beder længe for et syns skyld, derfor skal I få des hårdere dom. Farisæerne havde stor indflydelse blandt folket, og denne benyttede de sig af til fordel for deres egne interesser. De vandt gudfrygtige enkers tillid og fremstillede det derpå som disses pligt at skænke deres ejendom til fromme formål. Når de havde sikret sig opsynet med deres penge, benyttede disse snedige rænkesmede dem til at tjene deres egne formål. For at dække over deres uhæderlighed opsendte de offentligt lange bønner og stillede på alle måder deres fromhed til skue. Kristus erklærede, at dette hykleri ville bringe en hårdere dom over dem. Den samme irettesættelse rammer i vore dage mange, der foregiver stor gudfrygtighed. Deres liv er besudlet af selviskhed og pengebegærlighed, men dog dækker de over det alt sammen med en tilsyneladende renhed og narrer således for en tid deres medmennesker. Men de kan ikke narre Gud. Han kender enhver af hjertets tanker og vil dømme enhver efter hans gerninger.