Mark 12:38
And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces, And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,
The warning is against the scribes and Pharisees who loved to display their status by going in long robes and seeking public greetings and salutations in the marketplaces. Their outward show, including public prayer and almsgiving, was put on to make people think they were very pious and to give an exalted impression of their zeal and devotion. That display exposed hypocrisy, for it was great ostentation and pretended piety rooted in self-righteousness, selfishness, pride and vanity, lacking mercy and integrity. Their claimed sanctity served only as a cloak to iniquity.
While making this show they devoured widows' houses with exactions and heavy taxes, robbed and took advantage of the poor, and appropriated offerings for themselves. Christ's doctrine of humility, compassion and love rebuked that spirit. He was not awed by their display, and gave them no flattery, no exaltation, and no word of approval, but exposed their hypocrisy. His spotless purity condemned their evil works and put them to open shame.
They refused reform and transformation of character, and hated Him because His purity condemned them. Such vanity and pride are abhorrent to God, while it is the humble and contrite whose prayers are heard in heaven. The warning belongs to His repeated warnings about rejecting the Son of God and applies in every age to those who refuse to receive Christ as Redeemer, so that unless they repent, the judgment foreshadowed by the examples He gave will be theirs.