What is an extremist? An extremist is a person who holds extreme or fanatical political or religious views, especially one who resorts to or advocates extreme action. In each religion, we would encounter extremists in one way or another. It is precisely such extremists who give the religion a bad name, since what they do and their way of thinking is off the mark, or out of line with what is the actual teaching of the particular religion. What is supposed to be simple teaching is taken by such people and made into complicated and radical. Sometimes, such extremists do such things to draw attention to themselves, and to attract especially the young to join their cause.
In today's Gospel, we come across a bunch of extremists who are the lawyers and the Pharisees. These folks held an extreme view about many things, one of which is concerning keeping the sabbath. To them, keeping the sabbath means no work can be done, not even good deeds. But Jesus caught them in an embarassing situation when He said: "'Which of you here, if his son falls into a well, or his ox, will not pull him out on a sabbath day without hesitation?' And to this they could find no answer." Obviously, any right-minded person would rescue his son or his ox from danger without hesitation, even on the sabbath. But when we are dealing with extremists, their minds are so warped and they have become so stubborn and obstinate, that even doing such a good and merciful act is prohibited. This is why the lawyers and Pharisees could not and dared not answer Jesus' challenge, since they would be conflicting their absurd position if they were to agree that such a good or merciful deed is permissable and lauded.
What about us? Are some of us extremists in one way or another? Have we put people off or caused disharmony in our community with our extreme views through our behaviour, attitude and conduct? Let us check ourselves and shed ourselves of such extreme views, so that we may learn to live and love according to the ways of the Lord once again.
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