Interpreting Matthean Remuneration in a Neoliberal Economy: Expanding Socioeconomic Interpretations of Matthew 20.1-16

The parable of the just landowner (Matt 20.1-16) has been subjected to traditional theological and socioeconomic interpretations. Traditional readings emphasize its allegorical function, depicting the landowner as a divine figure bestowing salvation. By contrast, socioeconomic interpretations examine the parable within first-century labor structures, arguing that it critiques exploitative economic practices. While scholars have analyzed the parable in the context of ancient economies, less attention has been given to how modern economic systems shape its contemporary reception. This paper examines how neoliberal capitalism constructs an ideological opposition to Matthean remuneration. In a system ruled by meritocracy, the equal compensation model of Matthew 20.1-16 appears irrational, even subversive. Drawing on organizational behavior studies and insights from political theory, this paper presents Matthean remuneration as a challenge to the implicit assumptions that shape current understandings of fairness, labor, and reward; ultimately contributing to the intersection of biblical interpretation, economic justice, and ideology.