Reference links:
Old Testament
Half of today’s reading is a listing of cities given to the Levites.
The rest looks like it might get interesting. The tribes of Reuben and Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh return home. On the way, they build an altar in the land of Canaan. The rest of the tribes of Israel do not like this.
So the whole community of Israel gathered at Shiloh and prepared to go to war against them. First, however, they sent a delegation led by Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, to talk with the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
The delegation tells those who had built the altar what terrible people they are. The delegation tells them how angry God is going to be with all of them. What happens next? We’ll have to wait and see.
New Testament
More repeats: the Pharisees ask Jesus where his authority comes from, and he refuses to tell them because they will not answer a question about John the Baptist. Jesus tells a parable about some tenant farmers that was clearly a criticism of the religious teachers. Jesus evades a trap set by those folks when he says that taxes should be paid because Caesar’s face in on the coin.
Psalms and Proverbs
Another “God is awesome” psalm. Another couple “wise people are awesome, fools are not” proverbs.