Balaam, the pagan prophet, was sent by the king of Moab to curse Israel, but he could not. He was inspired by the spirit and realised that the Israelites were numerous and protected by God. He could see their glorious future, and he prophesied that a star would come forth from Jacob and a sceptre from Israel to rule. This was a messianic prophecy that Christians believe was fulfilled in Jesus.

We need to avoid opposing or criticising individuals or groups merely because we feel threatened by them. We might find ourselves fighting against God.

A group of people interrogated Jesus - they wanted to know the source of his power and authority. By labelling it, they sought to control or dismiss it.

But Jesus was very wise: he posed a question to them as a condition of giving them an answer. They did not reply, fearing either the crowd's disapproval or a rebuke for not listening to John the Baptist. Jesus then refused to play their game - he would not give them the answer. We should judge things by their fruit, not by labels or outer wrapping. God comes to us in many disguises, and if we are not careful, we will miss the visitation.