Jotham’s Once in a Lifetime Performance

So you’ve heard the ageless song titled “The Little Drummer Boy” and haven’t seen where he was mentioned in scripture. Ahh I bring you a fictional tale of the Little Drummer Boy Today. This is the third in a serie of Christmas stories, the first I wrote about “Sara” in 2016 and the second about “Hosea” in 2017. Enjoy

Jotham sat quietly beside his dad as they watched the flock. It was yet another cold night in Bethlehem and they had brought their flock to the outfields of Bethlehem to feed at night — partly because night time was freer of traffic but more this particular day because they had been busy all day receiving family and friends from outside town who had come in because of Ceaser Augustus’ census order. Bethlehem had been especially busy today even for little ones like him and boy he was exhausted.

Today he had been so busy he didn’t even have time to play with Sara and Hosea his two best friends. He had only met Sarah sometime around noon at the butchers trying to run an errand of his own and he felt sympathy for poor Sara — younger than him but she was running an inn with her still grief-stricken father and he met Hosea who was just coming to the shop on an errand of his own when he and Sara were heading home.

Jotham was trying really hard to stay awake and he didn’t want to fall asleep not because he was scared of his father but he didn’t want to receive the harsh criticism of his brothers — they always felt he was the lazy favoured child and treated him badly. Jotham cradled his little samba and tried to make low beats to keep himself alert. This samba was one of his favourite gifts ever. His father had noticed his fascination with the parade that usually accompanied the King and his princes and had rewarded him with a Samba for his birthday. Initially both his brothers and father had urged him to play the harp instead like their great father David the shepherd but eventually his father got him the samba — and his brothers further disliked him for that.

Jotham was about to doze off tired of fighting the sleep when he heard a strange sound. Turning to that direction the white light was so bright he had to look down. From his eye view point he could see the feet of many men. Then a man he supposed was the leader spoke up:

“Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Almost immediately the whole group broke into an ever most wonderful rendition singing Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests. The song was so beautiful little Jotham begun to play a light beat on his Samba but suddenly the men and the light were gone and all that remained was the band of shepherds.

After about a minute of silence, Jotham’s father assigned two of his brothers to watch the flock and commandeered the whole group on a trip back into Bethlehem town.

As they got into Bethlehem town, Jotham’s father was about to ask a local if something strange had happened in town when Jotham saw Sara running excitedly. He asked her what had happened and she told him there were wise men from the east in the stable of her father’s inn worshipping the new born king! Jotham informed his father and soon the whole crew was rushing towards the inn.

When they got in, Jotham’s eyes grew wide — never had he seen the legendary wise men from the east — he had even thought them fictional but here they were in all their splendour and bowing before a baby. Jotham noticed his father and the other men taking cue from the wise men to bow and bowed too.

One by one the wise men offered gifts of Gold, Myrrh and Frankincense to the baby and Jonathan watched in awe. He finally inched closer and got a glimpse of the babe. Wrapped in swaddling clothes he looked very special and handsome — more handsome than Gilead the new baby his father’s second wife had borne just weeks ago.

Jotham almost immediately felt sad. He didn’t have a gift to give this new born special baby like the wise men. He was thinking of what to do when he remembered the small Samba he was holding. Slowly gently he began to play a new tone he had composed out on the fields the other day “Pa-ra-pa-ram-pam”. Everybody looked at him instantly and he wanted to stop because he could see eyes telling him not to disturb the baby but the baby smiled such a smile that gave Jotham courage and he played the samba all the more confidently with his eyes closed. When he was done everyone cheered and one of the wise men even carried him up.

***

Back at home many hours later, Jotham lay in bed thinking of all that had happened. He had heard a lot about the prophesy of a virgin born king of the Jews just this evening but just one thought remained with Jotham — if the baby was a king and this king had smiled at him when he played his little Samba — then this was going to be a different king who would be open to everybody!

***

Authors Note: Today I was wondering the significance of the story of the little drummer boy and did some research. I struck something. A wonderful lesson from this story is that Jesus is for everybody. He truly came for all — not only was he born In insignificant Bethlehem in a stable in a feeding through for animals but he also accepted the gifts of not only the rich wise men but the poor shepherds and the little drummer boy child. It’s hard for us in today’s world to understand this but little children were so insignificant in ancient times Jesus dedicated his life in teachings and this legend which may be untrue to telling people to value them.

Every one of us was the drummer boy at one time — not materially poor but just new Christians rescued from spiritual poverty coming to Christ and we wondered what to give or how to make up for all the years we spent apart from him but all we had to give was a simple song of praise and thanksgiving — our little samba.

This Christmas, may we spread the joy of Christmas and the message to our fellow men who don’t know God so that they too will play their little Samba. Love and Light. Nenkinan Deshi.