Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 66:1 (Mar 2023)
Article: The Parable Of The Vineyard Workers In Matthew 20:1–16 And Migrant Laborers In India
Author: Esa J. Autero

JETS 66:2 (March 2023) p. 91

The Parable Of The Vineyard Workers In
Matthew 20:1–16 And Migrant Laborers In India

Esa J. Autero*

^* Esa J. Autero is Professor of Biblical Studies and Dean of Seminary at South Florida Bible College and Seminary, 2200 SW 10th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442. He may be contacted at [email protected].

Abstract: Despite the simple storyline, the parable of the vineyard workers in Matthew 20:1–16 is one of the most difficult parables to interpret, and exegetes do not agree on its meaning. This article explores the meaning of the parable from two angles—from the standard exegetical viewpoint as well as from the perspective of India’s migrant workers. It is argued that by reading the parable in dialogue with the plight of India’s internal migrant workers, it is possible to gain new insights into this parable as well as challenge churches to work for kingdom justice in India and elsewhere.

Key words: parable of the vineyard workers, Gospel of Matthew, parables of Jesus, hermeneutics of parables, hermeneutics in India, reading the Bible in India, migration hermeneutics, theology of migration, Indian migrant workers, India

Over 90% of India’s laborers work in the informal sector.1 Many of them are migrants who moved from villages to cities in search of work and livelihood. Others have escaped caste discrimination, religious violence, or natural disasters. It is estimated that around 300,000 people gather every morning in Mumbai’s nakas or street corners in search of work.2 Some are picked up while others wait hours each day without any likelihood of employment. Many women resort to sexual favors to secure employment or engage in prostitution either intermittently or permanently.

What hope does Christian faith offer, if any, for day laborers in the slums of Mumbai or in other megacities around the world? What does Scripture say about their plight? Does it offer something of substance to them or to believers in their midst? What does it mean to read the New Testament in the context of vulnerability, poverty, lack of economic opportunities, and threats of violence?

Western biblical scholars have produced an enormous number of commentaries and articles in recent decades. This scholarship focuses almost exclusively on historical, literary, and linguistic aspects of biblical texts. Unfortunately, much of the material, especially in the evangelical commentaries, reproduces or rehashes

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