Parables of Jesus

A farmer sows seed on different types of soil, representing how people receive God's word.

A traveler is beaten and left half dead. A Samaritan helps him while religious leaders pass by.

A shepherd leaves 99 sheep to find the one that is lost.

A rebellious son wastes his inheritance but is welcomed back by his forgiving father.

A tiny mustard seed grows into a large tree, representing the growth of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Five wise and five foolish virgins wait for the bridegroom; only those prepared enter the wedding feast.

A master entrusts his servants with talents; those who invest them are rewarded, while the lazy servant is punished.

Two men pray at the temple: a proud religious leader and a humble tax collector.

One builds his house on the rock, the other on sand. Only the house on the rock survives the storm.

A servant who is forgiven a huge debt refuses to forgive a small debt owed to him.

A rich man plans to build bigger barns for his surplus but dies that very night.

Many are invited to a great banquet but make excuses. The master then invites the poor and crippled.

An enemy sows weeds among the wheat. The master lets them grow together until the harvest.

A rich man lives in luxury while Lazarus suffers. In eternity, their roles are reversed.

Workers hired at different times all receive the same pay, revealing God's generosity.

A merchant finds one pearl of great price and sells everything he has to buy it.

A man finds treasure hidden in a field and joyfully sells all he has to buy that field.

A man asks his neighbor for bread at midnight. The neighbor gives it not out of friendship, but because of his boldness.

An unjust judge grants a widow justice simply because she refuses to stop bothering him.

Two men owe debts; one much, one little. Both are forgiven. Who loves the lender more?

A fig tree bears no fruit for three years. The gardener begs for one more year to fertilize it.

Tenants kill the landowner's servants and finally his son, hoping to seize the inheritance.

A king invites guests to his son's wedding, but they refuse. He invites others, but one man comes without wedding clothes.

One son says 'no' but obeys; the other says 'yes' but disobeyed. Which one did the father's will?

A lamp is not lit to be hidden under a basket, but to be put on a stand to give light to everyone.

A woman mixes yeast into a large amount of flour until it works all through the dough.

A net catches all kinds of fish. When full, fishermen separate the good from the bad.

A woman diligently searches for one lost coin, rejoicing when it is found, symbolizing joy in heaven over one repenting sinner.

A manager facing dismissal secures his future by reducing debtors' debts, teaching us to use worldly wealth for eternal purposes.

A nobleman gives his servants minas to invest while he is away receiving a kingdom. Upon return, he rewards faithfulness and judges rebellion.

The final judgment where the King separates people based on how they treated the least of His brothers—feeding the hungry, clothing the naked.

Found only in Mark, this parable shows that the Kingdom of God grows by God's power, mysterious and independent of human effort.

A lesson on watching for the signs of the times. Just as leaves signal summer, prophetic signs signal the nearness of Christ's return.

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

One must count the cost before building a tower, lest he be unable to finish it.

When invited to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, but the lowest place.

When you have done everything you were told to do, say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'

A teacher of the law who becomes a disciple is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.

Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet.