17:8 Make ready. After his pasturing duties are done, the bondslave (symbolizing a Christian redeemed to serve Christ) is expected then to serve his master. This requires proper preparation (“make ready”) and equipment (“gird thyself”). Then the slave is ready to “serve me.” Here a different Greek word is used, meaning “minister to me.” Perhaps the analogy is that feeding the sheep is a duty, while feeding the master is a ministry.