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Apprentices of Jesus

by Mike Bishop

Apprenticeship is a dying art. Most job training has been whittled down to a few years in college and an endless sea of 'seminars' you attend in the working world. This was not the case in the first century, or even just a century ago. Most occupations demanded that a young person seeking employment undergo a long period of shadow work - watching, listening, and copying the master.

This was the way Jesus taught the first disciples and he is still teaching today. Becoming a Christian is not about taking the right Bible classes so you can get the right answers. It is like deciding to enter into a new line of work that requires your whole life and dedication. Apprentices of Jesus choose to undergo the same kind of intensive shadow work. They watch: "So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him." (Luke 5:11) They listen: "Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock." (Matt. 7:24) They copy: "...anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these..." (John 14:12)

People who decide to become apprentices of Jesus will begin a lifelong relationship with the Master and other apprentices. As a community, they will be formed together in the image of the Master. Progressively, apprentices will be able to do what Jesus did, say what Jesus said, think what Jesus thought, etc. as if he were living their life. But this ability does not come by mere human effort. It is a spiritual transformation of the entire human makeup - heart, thoughts, feelings, body, relationships, and even the soul. Although the primary contributor to this transformation is God, it can only occur if the apprentice intends it to happen. He or she must be willing to learn. Jesus will never force anyone to follow him who does not wish to.

This is a brief description of what we hold to be our primary calling - deciding to become lifelong students of Jesus in the kingdom of God. (Note: The Vineyard is indebted to the work of authors and Christian leaders like Dallas Willard, Richard Foster, Eugene Peterson, Todd Hunter, John Wimber, and many others. The influence of those who are and have been Jesus apprentices cannot be measured. For more on apprenticeship, be certain to read "The Divine Conspiracy" by Dallas Willard.)