Discourse Prominence in Matthew 20,1-16 47 given in the aorist tense to identify background and supporting informa- tion (οὐδεὶς ἡμᾶς ἐμισθώσατο) that explains why they are standing idle. Further, Nolland notes that the same perfective aspect verb is used in v. 1 (μισθώσασθαι) and v. 7 (ἐμισθώσατο)21. Porter’s verbal aspect theory offers an explanation for the use of the aorist tense as backgrounding the information while structuring the first half of the pericope. Therefore, the use of μισθώσασθαι used in v. 1 and ἐμισθώσατο in v. 7 functions to frame the hiring of the groups of laborers with two perfective aspect verbs producing a sense of cohesion. In all but one instance the author uses the perfective aspect to mark each verb in vv. 8-10 which moves the story along by summarizing the contents of the command given by the landowner to his manager: to call the laborers together then to give each payment beginning with the last group of laborers hired (v. 8). The ensuing episode (vv. 9-10) includes the laborers being given their payment with those who were hired “first” (πρῶτοι) expecting to receive more than those who were hired “last” (ἔσχατοι). The author’s use of the aorist with regard to the manager functions to background his role within the narrative. Therefore, verbal aspect theory offers support to Luz’s position that the manager is simply a supporting character22. The aorist participle λαβόντες in v. 11 moves the parable along and recalls the indicative form of the verb used in v. 10b to add background to the ensuing reaction of the laborers in vv. 11-12. The aorists used in v. 12 provide a summary of the background circumstances of the laborers that prompt their grumbling (v. 11) and the landowner's response to their complaints in vv. 13-15. The landowner’s response is expressed by using an aorist tense verb (εἶπεν) to summarize his speech in the dialogue, viewing it as a completed action (v. 13). Further, the landowner’s response also contains the aorist participle (συνεφώνησάς) recalling the agreement between the landown- er and the laborers given in the perfective aspect in v. 2 (συμφώνησας). The aorist imperative ἆρον at the beginning of v. 14 uses the default aorist aspect for the command “take” indicating its semantic importance is less than the imperfective aspect utilized in the second half of the verse. The final two aorists found in vv. 14b.15a are aorist infinitives (δοῦναι and ποιῆσαι respectively) which are also marked with the default aorist aspect contrasting the present tense verb θέλω used twice in vv. 14-15 immediately before each of the infinitive verbs. 21 Nolland, Matthew, 808. 22 Luz, Matthew, 531.