ACC ~ Matthew 23 v14

CALLED TO ACCOUNT

HILARY OF POITIERS: These are the poisoners of truth. They are reluctant to undertake the salvation of others. They bolt shut the kingdom of heaven. In their ambition they “devour widows’ houses and for pretense make long prayers.” By this acquaintance with heaven (achieved with those long prayers), they expect they will persevere in the merits of grace quietly, just as a rich person expects to receive the treasure stored up for him. However, they will receive ample judgment and punishment for their particular sins. They will be called to account for their strange and ignorant practices. [1] ON MATTHEW 24.4. [2]

[1] Verse 14 is included only in a marginal note of the RSV, but is included here due to the Fathers’ comments on it.

[2] SC 258:168.

FOR A PRETENSE YOU MAKE LONG PRAYERS

CHRYSOSTOM: After this, he admonishes them for their gluttony. And it is most grievous that they indulged their own bellies not from rich men’s houses but from the poor. Thereby they aggravated the poverty of the poor, which they should have relieved. They did not merely eat. They “devoured.”

The manner of their false piety in overreaching was even yet more grievous: “for a pretense you make long prayers.”

It is just for anyone who does evil to receive just retribution. But in this case we have one who is using prayers as a cloak for his own wickedness. And he is deriving even the reason for his avarice as godliness. Sure he is justly liable to a far more grievous punishment. So why did God not stop this and depose them? Because the time had not yet come. He leaves them time for repentance for a while. But by his sayings he tries to avert his own disciples being similarly deceived or to be drawn to emulate these men because of the dignity of their positions. Earlier he said, “Observe whatever they tell you but not what they do.” [1] For they do many things amiss. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 73.1. [2]

[1] Mt 23:3.

[2] PG 58:673; NPNF 1 10:440.

YOU DEVOUR WIDOWS’ HOUSES

INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW: Imposters of holiness more easily entangle themselves around women. Women are less ready to stand up to such imposters in front of them. These manipulators know that they are softer and more guileless. [1] … They loiter especially with widowed ladies for two reasons. First, because women with men are less easily deceived, having the mettle of men and being less ready to give anything from her purse. Widows are in a position in which they are more easily deceived. Second, they more easily involve themselves in things not subject to anyone else’s authority. So they are taken advantage of. Jesus here confronts the priests and warns Christian leaders against these temptations. They had best not remain with widowed women any more than with others. For even if the desire to remain with widows is not ill motivated, it still may carry the suspicion of being so. HOMILY 44. [2]

[1] The author, in line with a trend then much in vogue among pagans and Christians (e.g., Augustine), contends the weakness of the female sex.

[2] PG 56:880.