Tools For The Task Of Disciple Making, Does It Matter?
A Disciple Making Parable
& A Couple of Questions:
A world renown older gourmet chef was looking for someone to carry on his legacy. He decided to open his kitchen, receive candidates, and interview some for the role of an apprentice. One by one they came and were dismissed for not being equal to the task. The chef was a bit taken back by the next candidate as he was a man of small stature. Curiously, this small man came with a machete strapped to his leg. This candidate was certainly more interesting than any of his previous candidates, so the old chef decided to test him.
The old chef asked the small man where his chef tools were. Pointing to his machete, he said “this is all I need.” ”Ridiculous!” Thought the old chef… and took it as a challenge. “We’ll start easy,” the chef said. ”Slice these tomatoes.” The small man took the machete out of its sheath and went to work. Paper thin, chunks, decorative shapes, and even peeled, the small man worked those tomatoes in a blaze of metal and clanging. The old chef was astonished, although he wouldn’t let on. ”Ok, he’s got talent” the old chef thought, but I’ve got him now… “let’s slice some cheese,” he said. Again the small man went to work slicing, cubing, and chopping. ”Shredded!” said the old chef. A few more swipes with the machete and some wisps of wind later, there was a pile of perfectly shredded cheese. Egg Scrambling, dough making, can opening, meat carving, garlic smashing, sifting, beating, separating, whisking, and like tasks were all done with absolute precision and complete humility and all with the machete.
The old chef looked at the small man and said, “I’m sorry, but I can’t take you on as my apprentice.” For only the second time, the small man spoke and asked “Why not?” The old chef responded, “because you didn’t use the right tools for the job.” The small man reached out to shake hands with the old chef and thanked him for the opportunity. On his way out the door, the small man turned and asked, “what does it matter which tools I use, so long as the task was done?” The old chef lowered his head and thought for a moment and when he lifted his head to speak, the small man was gone.
As it relates to discipleship (The Making of Disciples), what’s the moral of this story?
Does it really matter which tools we use to make disciples, so long as the task is done?
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