Luke 17:7

having a servant plowing The Parable of the Ploughing Slave is simply an illustration from daily life. The slave is working in the fields, at ploughing or pasturing, and when he comes back the master orders him to prepare his dinner, nor does he give him any special daily thanks for his ordinary daily duties, even if they be duly performed. So even the best of us do not do more than our commonest and barest duty, even if we attain to that. Perhaps the "which of you,"as addressed to the poor Apostles, may be surprising; but the sons of Zebedee at least had once had hired servants, Mark 1:20.

feeding cattle Rather, tending sheep. So that here we have two great branches of pastoral work.

will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat -By and by" is an old English phrase for -immediately," and the verse should be punctuated -will say to him, when he enters from the field, Come forward immediately, and recline at table." There is none of the harshness which some have imagined. The master merely says, Get me my dinner, and then take your own.