Absolutely. The teacher was clearly speaking in a very particular context. It's, "If I am not allowed to work, I refuse to eat."

Even in the same book, there are plenty of other stories that make different but complimentary points. E.g., "The Stingy Artist": http://www.ashidakim.com/zenkoans/47thestingyartist.html

Or the one about the Zen master and a thief who tries to rob him: http://www.ashidakim.com/zenkoans/44thethiefwhobecameadiscip...