âThe Little Drummer Boyâ is a popular Christmas song written in 1941. It was originally known as âCarol of the Drumâ and is based on a traditional Czech carol. Although there isnât any reference to a drummer boy in the Christmas story in Matthew 1â2 and Luke 2, the point of the carol goes straight to the heart of the meaning of worship. The carol describes how a boy is summoned by the Magi to the scene of Christâs birth. Unlike the wise men, however, the drummer has no giftâso he gives what he has. He plays his drum, saying, âI played my best for Him.â
This echoes the worship Jesus described when He told of the widow and her two coins: â âTruly I tell you,â he said, âthis poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live onâ â (Luke 21:3-4).
All the drummer boy had was his drum and all the poor widow had were her two coins, but the God they worshiped was worthy of their all. He is worthy of our all as well, having given His all for us.
In both the Old and New Testaments, the Scriptures challenge the people of God to show concern for the marginalized. For example, Deuteronomy 14:29 says: âAt the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that yearâs produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied.â In the New Testament, the church at Jerusalem established a ministry for the care of widows (Acts 6), and James says the care of widows and orphans is the mark of true religion (James 1:27).
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