Luke 20:41-47 (ESV)

⁴¹ But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? ⁴² For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, ⁴³ until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ ⁴⁴ David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?” ⁴⁵ And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, ⁴⁶ “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, ⁴⁷ who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

Jesus publicly condemned the scribes, who loved to be identified by their religious role. So that all would know who they were, they wore long white robes with fringe at the bottom that touched their feet. They were considered above the common people. They were looked up to and greeted as they went through their cities. When the scribes entered their synagogues, they took special seats from which they looked out upon the audience, reminding all of how “important” they were. When large feasts or parties were given, it was a symbol of honor to have a scribe there, so they were given the best seats. Even worse than their desire for recognition, the scribes abused their religious authority for selfish purposes. The scribes managed the property of widows who dedicated their assets to the Lord. When they oversaw these widows’ finances, they made sure to take a generous cut for themselves. The widows were often some of the poorest in the community, but the scribes profited even from their willingness to give. The scribes made long prayers while they lived selfishly. Their prayers should have called on God to show mercy upon their own sinful behavior, and to help them live according to the justice and kindness of the Lord. Instead, they used lengthy supplications for their own glorification, defeating the purpose of prayer.

Not only did Jesus say that these scribes would give an account for what they did, but he added, “They will receive the greater condemnation.” All sin separates us from God, but some will incur more wrath than others because of the heinousness of the sins and the disobedience of the sinner. When we sin willfully, or when we cause others to stumble while we are in a position of spiritual leadership over them, our sins are weightier than the same sins committed by those with less understanding. Romans 2:5 declares that wrath can be “stored up” for the day of wrath. Think about whether you are willfully disobeying the Lord right now in any area. Choose to see your sin more seriously than you have, and ask God to help you turn from disobedience. He longs to help us get this right. For those who follow Jesus, there is no condemnation, but we should long to live in a way that pleases the One who paid our debt with his blood.