As it states in The Message written by Eugene Peterson, “you’re blessed when you have worked up a good appetite for God.” This phrase speaks volumes, especially when it comes to us looking upon ourselves and this world as apprentices of Jesus.
The disciples were those first apprentices. Everyday of their life following Jesus was marked by his ministry. His teaching, healing, prayer, voice of power and praise of pointing to the Father, his compassion, forgiveness, clear words of redirection and purpose, sacrifice, peace, centeredness, footsteps on the way to the cross, his pouring out of body and blood, and his profound joy lived in light of the resurrection, all was gifted to the apprentices.
Imagine on this day being apprenticed by Jesus himself. Imagine the above elements being front and center in your daily life. Imagine God giving God’s best to you. When the leader speaks the apprentice listens. When the Savior shows how to live, the apprentice follows that same way of life.
In the living of our days, we need a Savior to apprentice us. We need the Word of God poured out into the very situations we find ourselves in. We need to be showed how to live as the full people of God. We need to witness the marks of discipleship in order to fully live as the Church. What a gift to receive – for God’s own Son to be the One who apprentices us.
God looks upon God’s creation and says, “You’re hired!” “You’re the Ones that I raise up for real life and love.” “You’re my people with whom I seek to shape the world into Gospel living.” “You are my heart, hands, and feet in this world!”
As we hear in Matthew, blessed are those who live as Jesus lived, who model their apprenticeship and thus become a shaping force so that others may receive that same apprenticeship gift that we ourselves have received - for they will receive the kingdom of heaven - the comfort, the inheritance, the being filled up, the mercy, to see God, to be children of God!
May we be apprenticed by Jesus and may we pass that gift, that legacy, that Christ-like life onto future generations.
From one apprentice to another,
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