The Teachers of the Law pressurised the poor into giving what they couldn't afford, but Jesus wants us to take care of the poor and vulnerable, not insist that they give to the Church.

Strongholds hinder us in our walk with God. What are strongholds, what power do they have and how can we demolish them so we can walk in freedom?

The appearance of the angels to the Shepherds in the fields surrounding Bethlehem has the impact of completely transforming their lives.We too have heard the good news of Jesus' birth and are invited to draw near to him. What will our response be?

Jesus was the son of David, but he was much more than this. He is also David's Lord. The religious leaders responded to Jesus with silence, the crowds responded with delight, but we can respond by bowing down and worshipping him.

Jesus refuses to get drawn into pointless debates trying to rank the commandments in order of importance, and neither does he write off the entire law. Instead, he gets to the very heart of the Law

The Sadducees did not believe there was life after death, but thought that if there was then it would have to be a continuation of this life. They didn't know the power of God. We shouldn't think of heaven in earthly terms.

We are like rooms in God's house which Jesus comes and fills with his presence. When we are filled with the Spirit, we can face disputes and opposition but we need to deal with these and move on.

Jesus' opponents try to trap him into saying that the Jews should not pay taxes to Caesar, so that they can report him to the Roman authorities; but Jesus refuses to walk into their trap. In doing so, He challenges us to give our all to God, and give what is due to the authorities too.

Jesus tells a parable holding up a mirror of truth to the religious leaders of the time. When Jesus challenges us with the truth, will we respond, unlike them, by humbling ourselves before him and receive His mercy and freedom.

God has wiped out a huge debt for us. We also are called to forgive others even when it hurts.