The Theology of Christmas Carols... V
Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum
A new born King to see, pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,
So to honor Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
When we come.
Little Baby, pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That's fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,
Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum,
On my drum?
Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum
The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,
Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum.
The story told in this song is often missed. We often regard this as a cute Christmas song without any meaning. Now the story, of course, is fiction. It’s based on what might have happened but probably didn’t. It’s the story of a poor boy who circumstantially ends up at the manger of Jesus birth. Great kings are giving Him great gifts and the boy has nothing to give, so he thinks. He has but a drum and a talent.
We often excuse ourselves from doing the work of God because we lack the recourses. We don’t have money for those poor people so someone else should help them. What we don’t realize is the great value in the gifts God has given us, our passions, and our talents. Real ministry is giving myself away not just my money. It is devoting myself to God and people and not just my money. We give whatever we can to those in need for whatever we do for those in need we do for God “Jesus is looking for us to do the small things- to literally do whatever we can to meet the needs of those around us. More often than not, it’s not in the large things that lives are changed; it’s in the small things. It is ordinary people doing ordinary things the power of an extraordinary God.”[1] Money is the easy way out... much easier than playing a drum.
[1] Jim Burns and Mike Devries, the Youth Builder (Gospel Light Publishing 2001)148.