Not many of us like to be “called on the carpet.” That idiom, that phrase, has been used for at least 150 years to indicate a scolding, a call to account, for a defect in our behavior. In the passage this morning Jesus called the religious leaders of His day on the carpet. In rapid succession Jesus pointed out their hypocrisy, their self-centered, self-serving, religious hollow-ness. They looked the part, said the right things, prayed, and went to church, but underneath … no life, no heart, no humility, no genuine love for God.

At that point it was decision time … they could humbly admit the truth and ask God for forgiveness, or they could deny the problem and shift the blame. They chose the latter.

I’m right there with them. I don’t like having my hypocrisy exposed for all to see. My first response is to get mad, deny, attack.

When Jesus calls us on the carpet His intention is to offer us life. Sometimes a hard word is the only way to get through our thick skulls and hard hearts. He knows all our secrets. He cares deeply about us. He is offering us grace, mercy, hope, eternity. May we (may I), with humility and honesty, turn toward Him, not away from Him.