Discover the many parables of Jesus

[Ahar]

BibleStudyTools has a short article plus a list of all the Parables of Jesus. Here's an example:

Parable of the Lamp - Matthew 5:14-16​

• “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

The Parables of Jesus - Full List with Bible Verses

Jesus had the wisdom to simplify the profound spiritual truths he needed to share with humanity in the form of relatable stories that are easy to understand. Discover the many parables of Jesus from the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke in this collection of Bible verses!

www.biblestudytools.com

 

[Taylor]

I like this one.

Parable of The Persistent Widow - Luke18:1-8

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’


“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”


And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

 

[Ahar]

Yea that's a good one.

 

[Complete]

'The parables lead us to contemplate the hidden causes of the failure of Israel in relation to the kingdom
and look forward to the time when all will be put right.'
(Quoted from the book, 'Parable, Miracle and Sign' by C Welch)

https://www.bibleunderstanding.com/Parable%20Miracle%20and%20Sign.PDF

 

[Complete]

'And He spake a parable unto them to this end,
that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
Saying,
There was in a city a judge,
which feared not God, neither regarded man:
And there was a widow in that city;
and she came unto him, saying,
Avenge me of mine adversary.
And he would not for a while:
but afterward he said within himself,
Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
Yet because this widow troubleth me,
I will avenge her,
lest by her continual coming she weary me.
And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
And shall not God avenge His own elect,
which cry day and night unto him,
though He bear long with them?
I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.
Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh,
shall He find faith on the earth?
(Luk 18:1-8)

Hello @Taylor & @Ahar,

This parable is the only one that has it's explanation given first ('to this end ... ...' ), so that the reader can have no doubt as to it's meaning. It is also one of only two that are common to Luke only (Luke 181-8 & 9-14).

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[Complete]

'But I say unto you,
That every idle word that men shall speak,
they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
For by thy words thou shalt be justified,
and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.'
(Mat 12:36-37)

Hello again, @Ahaz,

The Lord Jesus Christ began speaking in parables at a very dire point in time, for the Pharisees had just blasphemed against the Holy Spirit, and sought occasion to accuse the Lord, that He may be put to death (Mat. 12:14 & 24). From this moment the Lord no longer spoke directly, but in parables to the multitude, only making known their meaning to His disciples. The reason being that they listened to Him with the hearing of faith, not doubt and unbelief (Matt.13:11-17).

This was an occasion of great moment in the ministry of the Lord Jesus, marked by the quotation from Isaiah 6:9-10, in (Matt. 13:14-15). This quotation was only ever quoted on three occasions, at times of crises and rejection, twice by the Lord Jesus Christ (here & in John 12:39), and once by Paul in (Acts 28:26-27), prior to Israel's decent into the blindness of unbelief, which was again a time of crises and rejection.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[Complete]

Hello yet again, @Ahaz,

So parables were never intended to reveal truth, but to conceal it, in the face of unbelief and rejection, their meaning only revealed to the eyes and ears of faith, in the persons of His disciples.

Thank you again,
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[Jessup]

I was thinking about this parable of Jesus the other day.

The Tares

24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? 28 from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Matthew 13:24–30

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom: but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Matthew 13:36–43

“The harvest,” says Jesus, “is the end of the world.” The end of the world, then, is a fixed, an ordained and expected time. Then we will shine forth as the sun.

 

[Complete]

'Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun
in the kingdom of their Father.
Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.'
(Mat 13:43)

Hello @Jessop,

Again, 'Who hath ears to hear, let him hear'. This cannot be received by the ears of unbelief and rejection, only by the ears of faith.

Thank God for His goodness and His grace.
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[TedT]

So parables were never intended to reveal truth, but to conceal it, in the face of unbelief and rejection, their meaning only revealed to the eyes and ears of faith, in the persons of His disciples.

Well, yes but...
in Matt 13:30 He is asked to explain the parable of the seeds which He then does. Now many people like to contend that He just gave them another parable to ponder but I reject that theory because then what He tells us is no explanation at all but merely an extension of the parable.

When He says that the seeds are people, Matt 13:37-38, that is, the sons of the kingdom and the sons of the evil one, then that is what He wants us to accept.

When He says that these people are sown, ie not created, into this world then that too is what He wants us to accept no matter how our brains scream for an more eisegetic theological interpretation because this is the explanation of the parable!

The word sow is

4687. speiró https://biblehub.com/greek/4688.htm​

Strong's Lexicon speiró: To sow Original Word: σπείρω Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: speiró Pronunciation: spī'-rō Phonetic Spelling: (spi'-ro) Definition: To sow Meaning: to sow, spread, scatter.​

Now I accept that many words must be viewed thru theological lenses but in this case, He is particularly using words that EXPLAIN the parable about seeds in a field and who put them there... I suggest we take this seriously as in an explanation, that is, to sow cannot be used to mean to create or it is using a new metaphor to explain the old metaphor and that is a faux pas.

 

[Complete]

Well, yes but...
in Matt 13:30 He is asked to explain the parable of the seeds which He then does. Now many people like to contend that He just gave them another parable to ponder but I reject that theory because then what He tells us is no explanation at all but merely an extension of the parable.

When He says that the seeds are people, Matt 13:37-38, that is, the sons of the kingdom and the sons of the evil one, then that is what He wants us to accept.

When He says that these people are sown, ie not created, into this world then that too is what He wants us to accept no matter how our brains scream for an more eisegetic theological interpretation because this is the explanation of the parable!

The word sow is

4687. speiró https://biblehub.com/greek/4688.htm​

Strong's Lexicon speiró: To sow Original Word: σπείρω Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: speiró Pronunciation: spī'-rō Phonetic Spelling: (spi'-ro) Definition: To sow Meaning: to sow, spread, scatter.​

Now I accept that many words must be viewed thru theological lenses but in this case, He is particularly using words that EXPLAIN the parable about seeds in a field and who put them there... I suggest we take this seriously as in an explanation, that is, to sow cannot be used to mean to create or it is using a new metaphor to explain the old metaphor and that is a faux pas.

'In that day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the seaside.
And great crowds were gathered to Him, so that He went into a boat and sat.
And all the crowd stood on the shore.
And He spoke many things to them in parables, ... '
(Mat 13:1-3a)

Hello @TedT,

In Matthew 13 there are 8 parables recorded, the first four parables were spoken in public, the last four in private, to the disciples. The one that you are referring to was the first spoken in public (Matt.13:10-23; Mark 4:10-20; Luke 8:9-15). The interpretation of this initial parable supplies us with a model for the interpretation of all parables:- '... know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?' (Mark, 4:13).

As you say, we are given the interpretation of this parable: It, like the rest of the parables, are, '... the mysteries of the kingdom of God': and in this parable the 'seed' (we are told) is 'the word of God' (Luke 8:11).

It is in 'The Parable of The Tares' (i.e., weeds - Matt.13:24-30, 37-42), that you refer to (Matthew 13:38-39), in which the seed is likened to mankind; it is not so likened in the parable of the sower:- 'The sower soweth the word' (Mark 4:14), ' ... the word of the Kingdom' (Mat.13:19a).

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[Complete]

'All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables;
and without a parable spake He not unto them:
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet,
saying,
I will open my mouth in parables;
I will utter things which have been kept secret
from the foundation of the world.'
(Mat 13:34-35)

Hello @Ahar,

The verse above was quoted by the Lord Jesus Christ, from Psalm 78:2-3:-

'Give ear, O my people, to my law:
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable:
I will utter dark sayings of old:
Which we have heard and known,
and our fathers have told us.'
(Psa 78:1-3)

Looking it up, I found another Scripture referred to where these words are used again:-

'Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:
Both low and high, rich and poor, together.
My mouth shall speak of wisdom;
and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
I will incline mine ear to a parable:
I will open my dark saying upon the harp.'
(Psa 49:1-4)

The psalm which follows reviews the history of Israel from Moses to David, showing the inner reasons for their failures, e.g., 'The children of Ephraim, armed, carrying bows. Turned back in the day of battle'. Why? 'They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in His law.' From this we can see that a parable intends the reader to consider deeply the ways of God with His people, and to look for the hidden causes, which are not seen by those who read the word of God superficially.

In Matthew 13, and the first use of the word parable in the New Testament (v.3), the chapter culminates in the rejection of the Messiah by the people of the land. The Lord Jesus Christ had been heralded as their Messiah and King, and God had given numerous proofs as to His person, by the works that accompanied His words. Yet they rejected Him.

So mystery and dark sayings (parables) replaced clearness of speech to the multitudes, as the words of Isaiah 6:9-10 are fulfilled in them:-

'And he said, Go, and tell this people,
Hear ye indeed, but understand not;
and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
Make the heart of this people fat,
and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears,
and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.'
(Isa 6:9-10)

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris