What’s your favorite Christmas song?
My friends tease me for it, but I will forever stand by “The Little Drummer Boy.” Specifically the 1965 Harry Simeone Chorale version, although I’ll admit the Pentatonix cover gives me chills. (Also, I like to pretend the Justin Bieber version with the rap in the middle doesn’t exist.) Even though it’s been around since long before I was born, there’s just something about Harry Simeone’s version that fills me with a warm sense of nostalgia whenever I listen to it.
But it’s more than that.
There may not be a scriptural basis for The Little Drummer Boy — at least, we’re never told about a small child playing drums in the stable the night of Jesus’ birth — but I love the simple story the lyrics tell and the deeper message behind it.
(As much as I enjoy them, I’m leaving out all the pa rum pum pum pum’s for easier reading.)
Come they told me
A newborn King to see
Our finest gifts we bring
To lay before the King
The “they” here seems to imply the Magi, bringing their expensive presents of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to honor the child they’d chased a star to find.
Before we go on, I think it’s important for me to address the fact that — contrary to what most Nativity scenes depict — Scripture teaches that the Magi didn’t meet the Messiah until he was older. As far as we know, the shepherds are the only humans other than Mary and Joseph who saw Jesus in the stable. (See Matthew 2 for reference.) This is a common misconception and one that “The Little Drummer Boy” seems to support, so for the sake of staying true to the song, I’m going to lay aside the theological discrepancies for now.
The Magi were the wealthy members of the congregation, the ones who could afford the gifts that made others gasp. They had the means to lavish their King with the best money could buy.
And this is a wonderful thing! When we have an abundance of material blessings, we can bring glory to God through our generosity (2 Cor. 9:7). If we take time to remember that He is the source of everything good in our lives, we can’t help but offer those gifts back to Him.
But what about the times when we feel like we don’t have as much to give? What if we’re struggling to pay our bills and put food on our tables? Can we still bring glory to God when we feel shame at the sight of the offering plate?
The next verse answers this question.
Little baby
I am a poor boy too
I have no gift to bring
That’s fit to give our King
We don’t know much about this mystery boy, but we do know he seems to be in a very different financial position than the men who brought him along to meet the King. He is painfully aware of the fact that his bank account pales in comparison to theirs. His clothes are secondhand, his sandals are off-brand, his camel is on loan from a friend.
I imagine him trudging along behind the magi as they approach their destination, dread growing in his belly with each step. He’s probably picturing a palace, a place someone like him could never belong. Why was I even invited on this trip? Couldn’t they have found some other drummer from a wealthier town?
And then he arrives at a stable. He sees the donkeys, the manger, the girl at the baby’s side who reminds him of his own mom. There is nothing glamorous about this scene. It is as ordinary as ordinary can be.
The little drummer boy suddenly realizes that his King is just like him. And this realization makes him brave enough to ask the question.
Shall I play for you?
Our friend doesn’t have costly spices or extravagant oil for baby Jesus, but he does have a drum in his hands and a song in his heart. And so he plays the very best he can, hoping this small gift is enough for his King. He has no idea that one day this baby will grow up and give His own life to save the drummer boy’s soul.
My favorite line of all comes near the very end of the song. It reminds me that even on my worst days, when it feels like I have nothing but dirty rags to bring to the table, my Savior loves me just as I am. Not because of anything I have to give, but because of who He is.
Then he smiled at me.
(Pa rum pum pum, pum.)
Listen:
Little Drummer Boy - (Harry Simeone Chorale)
Little Drummer Boy - (Pentatonix)
ABOUT OUR BLOGGER
Kati Lynn Davis grew up in Chester County and returned to the area after a brief stay on the other side of Pennsylvania to earn her Bachelor’s Degree in English Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. She currently works as a Library Specialist and earns a living mostly by reading children’s books.
She’s pretty sure she’s an Enneagram 4 but is constantly having an identity crisis over it, so thankfully she’s learning to root her sense of self in Jesus.
A few of Kati's favorite subjects to write about are social media, mental health, and films, and she especially loves to explore these topics through the lens of faith.