SOME THOUGHTS ON APPRENTICESHIP

“My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.” – Proverbs 2:1-5.

The year was 1488, and a man named Domenico Ghirlandaio was an Italian Renaissance painter in Italy. A young, thirteen-year-old boy became his apprentice.  Ghirlandaio had trained many apprentices, and all learned similarly—by watching and listening closely to him, paying attention to his direction and guidance, copying masterpieces to learn colors and strokes, and learning the ways of the trade. Ghirlandaio’s young thirteen-year-old apprentice, Michelangelo, certainly learned his trade well. He went on to paint the remarkable frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, completed the dome of St. Peter’s Cathedral, carved his famous Pietà and David statues from marble. It all began with a good apprenticeship.

The message of Proverbs 2 is to be an apprentice. It is a call to listen to the voice of truth and learn the standards of how life works in the world created by God, broken by sin, and redeemed by Jesus. It is a call to trust God, pursue truth, and do the work.

Jesus calls His followers to more than a casual or nominal relationship with him. He calls them to be His disciples, or apprentices, learning from Him day in and day out, becoming like Him and able to do everything He commanded. “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20). An apprentice soaks up any teaching and learning from the person they are apprenticing under. In the same way, followers of Jesus learn by apprenticing themselves to Jesus. They learn to live their lives as Jesus would live them if He were living their lives as they apprentice themselves to Him and train to be more Christlike.

Apprentices train through practicing spiritual disciplines such as worship, study, prayer, fellowship, solitude, silence, and fasting. Spiritual disciplines work by helping the disciple form new habits that change their character, ultimately resulting in automatic, Christlike responses.

Training for Christlikeness, being saturated with God’s love and grace, and attending to the care of our souls will result in a character that reflects Christ to the world. Choosing to be an apprentice to Christ means being devoted to Him, loving Him, and following Him.

In short, becoming an apprentice of Jesus, or discipleship, is a journey of learning and growing like Jesus, not just believing in Him. It’s becoming like him through daily practices, spiritual disciplines, and intentional living. This involves being with Jesus, becoming like Him, and doing as He did.

Discussion Questions:

1. Is the concept of apprenticeship new to you?
2. Why is an apprenticeship important? How is it useful?