10.06.04 At the end of II Samuel the writer appends little vignettes about David’s mighty men. In one of these, David, prevented from being in Bethlehem by yet another war with the Philistines, longs for a drink from a well there, and three of his men, for love of him, risk their lives behind enemy lines to bring him water from that very well. Which David pours out as an offering to the Lord, saying (Biblegateway.com) “Shall I drink the blood of these men?” And I thought of other blood that we drink – the blood of Jesus which we drink at each Lord’s supper. I was taught transubstantiation of the elements as a child (I recall the pastor saying, “Is is is and always is is” in reference to “This is my blood”) and have always wondered about this. But today it made sense that what Jesus was saying was that only because of His death were we able to partake of the Lord’s supper. He was, after all, always looking forward to and teaching about His death. David’s mighty men risked their lives, Jesus gave His. To sit at His table is, in this way, truly to drink His blood.
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