Note 10 at Mt. 23:14: The Lord has always put a very high priority on taking care of widows (Ex. 22:22; Dt. 10:18; 14:28-29; 24:17; 26:12; 27:19; Ps. 68:5; Isa. 1:17; Jer. 22:3; 1 Tim. 5:3-16; Jas. 1:27). It was concerning ministering to widows that Paul said, "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel" (1 Tim. 5:8). James said, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world" (Jas. 1:27).

Note 11 at Mt. 23:14: Jesus prayed for long periods of time including some all night prayer times (see note 1 at Mk. 1:35, p. 68). In Matthew 26:40, Jesus was disappointed that His disciples could not pray with Him for one hour. Therefore, Jesus is not rebuking long prayers, but rather the fact that the scribes and Pharisees were praying only for pretense or show (see note 27 at Mt. 6:6, p. 79).