The Twelve Days of Christmas is a traditional song for the holiday season. Each day in the song lists a different gift received over the course of the celebration. During the hundreds of years this song has been sung, the gifts have varied some, a few have changed position in the lineup, and a couple have been renamed due to the archaic terms originally used. However, none seem to have any real meaning except for joyful irreverence during the Christmas season.
The tenth gift we sing about is Ten Lords-a-Leaping. What spiritual meaning can we derive from the high-ranking individuals presented as a gift on the tenth day?
Look to Romans 13. In Paul’s day, there was no higher human authority than the Roman Emperor. The emperor and the “lords” just under him controlled the lives of the Roman citizens with all the power of a king.
In the first seven verses of Chapter 13, Paul is very clear that the “lords” in power over us are there at God’s command. Their authority has been established by God, and they are there to do us good.
Just as we financially support those in Christian leadership over us, we are also to support those in secular leadership over us. We cannot choose to fund one and not the other. If we do not support our secular “lords,” how can we ever expect to support the one who came to us as a babe in a manger?
The Ten Lords-a-Leaping may seem pompous fools to us at times, but they are God’s pompous fools. When we submit to them, we also submit to the Father, for all is the Father’s to command as he will.
Jesus is our true Lord, and when we worship him in truth, we will treat everyone with honor and respect.
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Code: FGO.J.30.13a.vp