About Us Quarterly Magazine Meditation: Of Drones and Worker Bees
Meditation: Of Drones and Worker Bees Print E-mail
Thursday, 04 June 2009 13:42
His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord. – Matthew 25:21

By Rev. Eric Pennings

During my college years I worked one summer for a beekeeper. That limited experience doesn’t make me a professional beekeeper, but it did teach me a lesson about serving Christ. I learned that there are two kinds of bees in a hive – drones and worker bees. The worker bees (females) are the ones who do all the work of searching for nectar and producing honey. The drones (males), though larger, eat the product without earning their keep. Consequently, the beekeeper often purges the hive of the drones while pampering and maintaining the worker bees.

There’s a lesson in this about making ourselves available for service in God’s kingdom. We need to ask ourselves if we are like drones or like worker bees. Are we willing to volunteer in promoting the cause of the kingdom of God? Or are we like the proverbial drones, taking advantage of the benefits of God’s kingdom, but unwilling to shoulder its responsibilities and privileges of service?

Jesus teaches this lesson in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. In the parable, the master (referring to Jesus Christ) is about to leave the servants (referring to followers of Christ). He entrusts his servants with the responsibility of maintaining and developing his property (referring to the kingdom of God) during his absence. He provides his servants with talents (referring to resources) to be used faithfully in fulfilling the mandate given to them.

In the parable, the master distributes the talents among his servants, some more … some less. In the same way Christ in His sovereign wisdom distributes His resources among His followers, each according to his or her abilities. Notice the enthusiasm with which the first two servants use the resources provided to them by their master. With joy and thanksgiving for the honor of serving their master, they selflessly and faithfully volunteer their time and effort, duplicating their resources in service to their master. With contrasting unfaithfulness, the third servant selfishly and begrudgingly buries his talent, expressing resentment for what he believes to be exploitation.

Our historical confessions apply this parable concretely. They teach that “all people are obliged to join and unite with the church … by serving to build up one another, according to the gifts God has given them” (Belgic Confession, Article 28). In our commitment to the communion of the saints, we are taught “that each member should consider it a duty to use these gifts readily and cheerfully for the service and enrichment of the other members” (Heidelberg Catechism, Answer 55).

The beekeeper illustrates in nature what Jesus teaches in this parable. The worker bees are rewarded as our Master encourages his faithful servants with the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” The drones, however, are purged from the hive, just as the Master casts the unfaithful servant into “darkness.”

Here are some questions for reflection as we consider our willingness to serve in God’s kingdom either in full-time service or as volunteers. What are the resources that God has given to me? What am I doing with these resources? Am I a drone … or a worker bee?

Rev. Eric Pennings is the Central American Regional Coordinator at Miami International Seminary (MINTS).
 
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