Devotionals

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Apprenticeship

by Dan Cooper

 

            The other day as I was walking to work something hit me. I do a lot of praying, thinking and listening to music on my way to and from work. I can't remember how my mind drifted to the subject but I started thinking about Jesus' identity as a carpenter.

            When we read the word carpenter it is the best translation that we have of a Greek word that means builder or tradesman but most likely Jesus was involved in woodworking in some capacity. At that time Jewish boys would go to Hebrew school when they were three until they were 10 years old and then they would pick up their fathers' trade. A boy would follow his dad around learning how to do whatever it is that he does and through helping his father he would soon start doing things on his own.

            We call this job-shadowing apprenticeship. Jesus commands us to do the same thing but he calls it discipleship. Apprenticeship and discipleship are basically the same thing but discipleship is more intense. At ABU I learned what it means to be a disciple from a worldly perspective. In my history class our prof was lecturing on the great classical philosophers and how they had disciples of their own. These disciples would follow around their master everywhere he went and learned to live and think just like him. They would leave their friends, family, material possessions and anything else behind to eat with, travel with, and talk with their master. The master would try to inspire, test, and often confuse their disciples in order that they would become more like him. Jesus is calling us to do the same thing.

            I have some friends who will have to do some apprenticeship to be qualified to do whatever trade that they are in. The best way to study to become a mechanic is to work with an experienced mechanic. You can take notes on hours of lectures, and read hundreds of books but nothing will compare to the practical, real-life experience of mimicking a professional. Christianity works the same way. We can listen to a lifetime of sermons, read hundreds of books, know all of the right answers but none of that compares to a relationship with Jesus. We can't learn to be more like Jesus from studying. We have to walk beside him, talk with him, learn from the lessons he teaches us, and center our lives around him and not ourselves.

            Let's say that you have been a carpenter for twenty years. You know the tricks of the trade in and out so you take on an apprentice who is fresh out of community college. At first your apprentice is fired up and quickly learns the basics. As time passes by and he has mastered the basics he starts to come to work late and is always asking for time off to work another job. When he is actually there he only half listens to what you say and is always trying to do things he can't do on his own. He wouldn't be much of an apprentice would he? You would probably fire him and get a different apprentice who won't waste your time.

            Once again the same thing can be applied to us. If we are unwilling to take Jesus' advice and to leave all we have to follow him he will look elsewhere for a disciple. In Matthew 19:16-22 there is the story of the young rich man who walked away from Jesus with his head hanging low because he was unwilling to sacrifice his wealth to follow Jesus. When you look at when Jesus called James and John they dropped their nets and went with Jesus. They knew that it wasn't going to be anything like their current life. They knew what it meant to be a disciple but they still went without hesitation.

            My challenge to you today is to evaluate your apprenticeship with Jesus. Are you walking beside Jesus, learning from Him as you go or are you calling the shots? Pray that God would open you up to His will and that He would teach you His ways. May you learn to live like the Carpenter from Galilee, forsaking all other teachers.