"And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has com in from the field,
"Come at once and sit down to eat?"
Luke 17:7
How wonderful is a plentiful meal after a long day of hard work? Does it not taste so much better with a pleasant conscience that you worked hard for it? Jesus here is speaking to those who had a need and a hunger for more faith...the disciples, but better titled, His servants. After speaking to them of the power of faith to overcome those things in life that may cause us to weep or become distracted, He speaks of a master's relation to his servant. The servant is described to us as having been plowing in the field or tending and feeding the sheep. Interesting that He used the detailed description of plowing, instead of the general idea of farming, because farming could of included, picking off good fruit, good harvest, or weeding, or planting, so many different avenues; yet plowing means to turn up the earth, to prepare the soil for planting; it is the action taken before seeds are sown. Does this not sound to you familiar? perhaps our calling as His servants? To prepare the way of the Lord, to prepare the soil of man's hearts to receive the seed of salvation? Our job is not to save people, that is a work that only the Holy Spirit can do, but we are called to prepare the soil, to plow the soil for the planting. We are to, through the testimony of our lives, break up the ground that has been hardened for too long. Living in such a way that others would desire to know how and why our soil is different, where we have received such rain? such joy, such peace, such love. Christ's disciples are called to plow the ground of wherever we are. This is not a choice, but a call to all who are His servants. The other job description here is tending sheep or feeding the sheep, another job of those who are His ministers. Feeding His sheep with the word of God. Or as a pastor is called to shepherd the group of believers placed in his life, to lead them in the truth.
So here we find a servant doing what he is called to do out in the field. The day is ending and so Christ addresses the question, will the master now have him come in and eat? Remembering here, that plowing is not the part of farming next to the harvest, it is actually one of the beginning steps in the work of good fruit being produced, and those sheep that are being fed at the present, will be in need of feeding again in the morning, so is this servants work truly done?
A good master would not deceive his servant to think he is done with his task if he not really be done. How much harder it would be for that servant to return to his work after he has been filled with all the fulness of the table before the proper time.
A loving master would wait to bless his servant when he could properly enjoy the blessing in full.
If the servant returned from the field and went straight to the table, think of the picture:
those hands, too dirty to eat with
those clothes, he would be underdressed and out of place at such a banquet
those shoes, mud tracking everywhere he stepped
Would it not be more rewarding to him if he first had opportunity to be clothed and prepared for the meal?
How does all this apply to what Jesus is saying here?
Did He not come from the Father to show forth to the world, the great need, and to bring the good news of the gospel? He showed us the field, and taught us how to work within it, He has called His servants and called them to go and complete the task He has set before them.
Likewise, He completed the work that was set before Him, Scripture tells us that AFTER He has purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of God. After He had completed His job, His plowing, He sat down, but not before.
Christ stored up His treasure above and challenged us to do the same, (Matthew 6:20).
And when He completed his days work, His reward was great.
Yet, even our Master, is still awaiting for us to enjoy that special meal...the marriage supper of the Lamb, when all who will believe in Him will come together, be clothed in His righteousness, and be united to Him, and there we will be with Him forevermore.
Because He is our good Master, He does not invite us to come straight from the field and to the table to dine, He waits that He may be gracious to His people...that His saints would keep laboring within the field, that more harvest would come, that more would come to know Him before the day of salvation is done, and the day of judgment comes. Christ would not have us to come at once, for there is still work for us to do. Servants serve. We are to continue working until the job is done. The meal awaits at the end of the days, the feast is prepared for those who have fought the good fight and finished the race. His word has promised us that there remains a rest for the people of God (Hebrews 4:9), but hand in hand that there remains a task to be done until that day, May the words of our Savior ring in our hearts and minds, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few." Matthew 9:37.
Application for myself: I can choose to have the best in this life, or to work in this life, to labor hard, to plow, to be faithful to what He has called me to do, and enjoy the eternal blessings in the life to come. It's easy to become discouraged in my personal times of plowing, because i do not always see the results, but that is not what i am called to, i am just called to obey the voice of my Master and trust that He will be faithful to complete the good work that He begins (Phil. 1:6).
I, as His servant, am to simply serve with the skills He has placed within my hands. A heart to love, and hands to serve.
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