Jesus’ Parables

Jesus spoke a great deal in parables. They were not simply stories.  They were living words from the mouth of God. A parable is an illustration, a story that is designed to teach a lesson. Jesus used them frequently and cited the common culture, norms, and situation of the time he was in so as to teach the listeners in terms they would understand.

  1.      The speck and the log   Matt 7:1–6; Luke 6:37–43
  2.      The two houses   Matt 7:24–27; Luke 6:47–49
  3.      Children in the marketplace   Matt 11:16–19; Luke 7:32
  4.      The two debtors   Luke 7:41
  5.      The unclean spirit   Matt 12:43–45; Luke 11:24–26
  6.      The rich man’s meditation   Luke 12:16–21
  7.      The barren fig tree   Luke 13:6–9
  8.      The sower   Matt 13: 3–8; Mark 4:3–8; Luke 8:5–8
  9.      The tares   Matt 13:24–30
  10.     The seed   Mark 4:20
  11.     The grain of mustard seed   Matt 13:31–32; Mark 4:31–32; Luke 13:19
  12.     The leaven   Matt 13:33; Luke 13:21
  13.     The lamp   Matt 5:15; Mark 4:21; Luke 8:16; 11:33
  14.     The dragnet   Matt 13:47–48
  15.     The hidden treasure   Matt 13:44
  16.     The pearl of great value   Matt 13:45–46
  17.     The householder   Matt 13:52
  18.     The marriage   Matt 9:15; Mark 2:19–20; Luke 5:34–35
  19.     The patched garment   Matt 9:16; Mark 2:21; Luke 5:36
  20.     The wine bottles   Matt 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37
  21.     The harvest   Matt 9:37; Luke 10:2
  22.     The opponent   Matt 5:25; Luke 12:58
  23.     Two insolvent debtors   Matt 18:23–35
  24.     The Good Samaritan   Luke 10:30–37
  25.     The three loaves   Luke 11:5–8
  26.     The good shepherd   John 10:1–16
  27.     The narrow gate   Matt 7:14; Luke 13:24
  28.     The guests   Luke 14:7–11
  29.     The great banquet   Matt 22:2–9; Luke 14:16–23
  30.     The wedding clothes   Matt 22:10–14
  31.     The tower   Luke 14:28–30
  32.     The king going to war   Luke 14:31
  33.     The lost sheep   Matt 18:12–13; Luke 15:4–7
  34.     The lost coin   Luke 15:8–9
  35.     The prodigal son   Luke 15:11–32
  36.     The unjust steward   Luke 16:1–9
  37.     The rich man and Lazarus1   Luke 16:19–31
  38.     The slave’s duty   Luke 17:7–10
  39.     Laborers in the vineyard   Matt 20:1–16
  40.     The talents   Matt 25:14–30; Luke 19:11–27
  41.     The importunate widow   Luke 18:2–5
  42.     The Pharisee and tax-gatherer   Luke 18:10–14
  43.     The two sons   Matt 21:28
  44.     The wicked vine-growers   Matt 21:33–43; Mark 12:1–9; Luke 20:9–15
  45.     The fig tree   Matt 24:32; Mark 13:28; Luke 21:29–30
  46.     The watching slave   Matt 24:43; Luke 12:39
  47.     The man on a journey   Mark 13:34
  48.     Character of two slaves   Matt 24:45–51; Luke 12:42–46
  49.     The ten virgins   Matt 25:1–12
  50.     The watching slaves   Luke 12:36–38
  51.     The vine and branches   John 15:1–6