“God forbid that I should do this!” he said. “Should I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives?” Because they risked their lives to bring it back, David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors. – 1 Chronicles 11:19

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 3, 2016): 1 Chronicles 11

Father Paul Scalia began the homily at his Dad’s funeral (Supreme Court Judge Antonin Scalia) with these words. “We are gathered here because of one man. A man known personally by many of us, known only by reputation by even more, a man loved by many, scorned by others, a man known for great controversy, and for great compassion. That man, of course, is Jesus of Nazareth.” In an interview with Father Scalia, the interviewer commented that everyone thought he was talking about his Dad, Antonin Scalia. Father Scalia simply smiled and responded that his Dad was never a lover of eulogies – he believed that every funeral should point simply at God. And Scalia the son wanted to do with this final act exactly was Scalia the Father would have wanted

So, maybe, this becomes the lasting legacy of Antonin Scalia – a man who even with his last moment of public life, only wanted to bring honor to his God. What better legacy could there be for any of us to leave to those around us in our last public moments on the earth?

David has, in a moment of nostalgic weakness, commented that he wished he could have a drink from the well back home in Bethlehem. It was not a command, there was no expectation that such a thing could happen, just the wish of a tired, but much beloved leader. But it was a wish that his most trusted men could not ignore. So three of his mighty men took it upon themselves to break through the enemy line so that they could go to that spring and bring back that water for David.

But when they arrive back at David’s camp with the precious water, David is overwhelmed. The problem is that the bravery of his men had made this water too precious to drink. So David pours out the water onto the ground. To the Western mind, this is a horrible waste. The men had sacrificed so much, and risked their lives to get the specific water that David had desired - only to have David throw the water away.

The reality is that the risk of the men had made the water too valuable for David to drink. In pouring the water out onto the ground, David wasn’t wasting it, he was offering it back to God; because only God was worth the sacrifice the men had given to get the water. Rather than accept it back into his own life, David made sure that the water pointed back to the creator, the one who had made the water in the first place. Rather than being a waste, giving the water back to God was the highest honor that David could give to his mighty men.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading; 1 Chronicles 12