Is Jesus Really Against The Minimum Wage?

On March 26, 2011, at an event called "Rediscover God in America Conference," pseudo-historian and Dominionist advocate David Barton said the following words:

"Jesus has an entire teaching on the minimum wage. Is Jesus for or against the minimum wage? Well just as a hint, Jesus did not like the minimum wage. He's got a whole teaching against it."

This alleged "teaching of Jesus" against the minimum wage comes from a twisted and unorthodox interpretation of the parable of the landowner and laborers, found in the Gospel of Matthew. (Matt. 20:1-16) According to Barton's website "Wallbuilders," in an article entitled "The Bible and Taxes," Barton claims, "The parable of the landowner and laborers (Matthew 20:1-16) is applicable to the employer/employee relationship and the issue of wages." He goes on to claim, "There is an implication that the landowner had a right to determine the wages his workers received, as well as an implication that the workers could accept or reject the landowner's offer of work."

The Early Church Fathers, who were the ancient teachers of Christian orthodoxy, never applied the parable of the landowner and laborers to secular employer/employee and wage issues. Instead, they saw this parable as an allegory; speaking of different people being called to faith at different ages, and then being rewarded with eternal life after completing their faithful service as "laborers" in the Lord's "vineyard" i.e. the Church, from the time of their conversion until their death.

Tertullian (c.160-c. 230) in his treatise "On Monogamy," identified the "one denarius" spoken of in this parable as eternal life.

St. Gregory Nazianzen (c. 329-c. 389/390) in his treatise "The Oration on Holy Baptism," identified the "vineyard" spoken of in the parable as the Church; and wrote, "For from the day and hour at which each believed, from that day and hour he is required to work."

St. John Chrysostom (c. 349-c. 407) in one of his "Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew," identified the 'vineyard" as the "injunctions of God and His commandments," the time of "laboring" as this present life, the "laborers" as "them that in different ways are called to the fulfillment of the injunctions," and "early in the morning, and about the third and ninth and eleventh hours," as "them who at different ages have drawn near to God, and approved themselves."

St. Jerome (c. 347-c. 420) in his "Letter to Oceanus," identified the "denarius" as salvation by quoting from the parable; "In the Gospel he who envies another's salvation is thus addressed, 'Friend, is thine eye evil because I am good?'" (Matt. 20:15)

St. Augustine (c.354-c. 430) wrote the following words in his Sermon XXXVII, "...the parable may be seen to have and explanation in respect even of this present life. For they are as it were called at the first hour, who begin to be Christians fresh from their mother's womb; boys are called as it were at the third, young men at the sixth, they who are verging toward old age, at the ninth hour, and they who are called as if at the eleventh hour, are they who are altogether decrepit; yet all of these are to receive the one and the same denarius of eternal life."

This is the interpretation given to the parable of the landowner and laborers by the ancient teachers of Christian orthodoxy. Therefore, the misinterpretation and misapplication of this parable, by individuals like pseudo-historian and Dominionist advocate David Barton; is at best poor exegesis, and at worst outright heresy.