The Rich Young Man and the Boundary of Distributive Justice: An Economics Reading of Matthew 20:1–16

This article proposes a novel way of resolving many of the challenges posed by traditional interpretations of the Matthean parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard (20:1–16) through a lens of economics. It argues that most interpretational challenges go away if we interpret the parable, not eschatolo...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Takagi, Shinji (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Sage 2020
In: Biblical theology bulletin
Year: 2020, Volume: 50, Issue: 4, Pages: 207-215
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Matthew / Bible. Matthäusevangelium 20,1-16a / Wealth / Justice / Economy / Egalitarianism
IxTheo Classification:HC New Testament
Further subjects:B Matthean parables
B the rich young man in Matthew
B distributive justice in the Bible
B economics reading of the Bible
B parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard
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Description
Summary:This article proposes a novel way of resolving many of the challenges posed by traditional interpretations of the Matthean parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard (20:1–16) through a lens of economics. It argues that most interpretational challenges go away if we interpret the parable, not eschatologically or allegorically, but as a gloss on Jesus’s injunction to the rich young man to sell his possessions and give the money to the poor (Matt 19:21). The article then offers an interpretation of the equal wage paid to all laborers that requires neither eschatology nor radical communalism by considering a set of conditions that must be satisfied by the boundary of distributive justice.
ISSN:1945-7596
Contains:Enthalten in: Biblical theology bulletin
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/0146107920958999