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Parables of Jesus

Discover how parables invite listening, forgiveness, care and response.

1. 1. Read and discover - Read lesson

   World English Bible

   Matthew 13:1-23

   ¹ On that day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the seaside.

   ² Great multitudes gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat and sat; and all the multitude stood on the beach.

   ³ He spoke to them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, a farmer went out to sow.

   ⁴ As he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and devoured them.

   ⁵ Others fell on rocky ground, where they didn’t have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of earth.

   ⁶ When the sun had risen, they were scorched. Because they had no root, they withered away.

   ⁷ Others fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked them.

   ⁸ Others fell on good soil and yielded fruit: some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.

   ⁹ He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

   ¹⁰ The disciples came, and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”

   ¹¹ He answered them, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them.

   ¹² For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he has.

   ¹³ Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they don’t see, and hearing, they don’t hear, neither do they understand.

   ¹⁴ In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, ‘By hearing you will hear, and will in no way understand; Seeing you will see, and will in no way perceive;

   ¹⁵ for this people’s heart has grown callous, their ears are dull of hearing, and they have closed their eyes; or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again, and I would heal them.’

   ¹⁶ “But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.

   ¹⁷ For most certainly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and didn’t see them; and to hear the things which you hear, and didn’t hear them.

   ¹⁸ “Hear, then, the parable of the farmer.

   ¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside.

   ²⁰ What was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word and immediately with joy receives it;

   ²¹ yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

   ²² What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

   ²³ What was sown on the good ground, this is he who hears the word and understands it, who most certainly bears fruit and produces, some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.”

   Read the full chapter

   Understanding the passage

   The parable relates soils to responses to the word; its explanation distinguishes hearing, understanding and endurance.

   Reflect

   • What prevents hearing from bearing fruit?

   Put it into practice

   Identify a distraction and prepare an attentive reading time.

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2. 2. Debt and mercy - Read lesson

   World English Bible

   Matthew 18:21-35

   ²¹ Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?”

   ²² Jesus said to him, “I don’t tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven.

   ²³ Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

   ²⁴ When he had begun to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.

   ²⁵ But because he couldn’t pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

   ²⁶ The servant therefore fell down and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all!’

   ²⁷ The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him and forgave him the debt.

   ²⁸ “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him one hundred denarii, and he grabbed him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’

   ²⁹ “So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you!’

   ³⁰ He would not, but went and cast him into prison until he should pay back that which was due.

   ³¹ So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told their lord all that was done.

   ³² Then his lord called him in and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.

   ³³ Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?’

   ³⁴ His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors until he should pay all that was due to him.

   ³⁵ So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds.”

   Read the full chapter

   Understanding the passage

   The parable contrasts received mercy with harshness toward another debtor; forgiveness neither authorizes abuse nor removes justice.

   Reflect

   • How does the servant treat his companion after his own debt has been forgiven?

   Put it into practice

   Recognize your own moral debt before judging another’s.

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3. 3. Becoming a neighbor - Read lesson

   World English Bible

   Luke 10:25-37

   ²⁵ Behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

   ²⁶ He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?”

   ²⁷ He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

   ²⁸ He said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.”

   ²⁹ But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

   ³⁰ Jesus answered, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

   ³¹ By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

   ³² In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

   ³³ But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion,

   ³⁴ came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

   ³⁵ On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the host, and said to him, ‘Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.’

   ³⁶ Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?”

   ³⁷ He said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

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   Understanding the passage

   The Samaritan crosses a social boundary to care for the injured man; Jesus shifts the question toward acting mercifully.

   Reflect

   • How does the Samaritan show what it means to become someone’s neighbor?

   Put it into practice

   Offer practical help without making group membership a condition.

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4. 4. Responsibility for what is received - Read lesson

   World English Bible

   Matthew 25:14-30

   ¹⁴ “For it is like a man going into another country, who called his own servants and entrusted his goods to them.

   ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey.

   ¹⁶ Immediately he who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.

   ¹⁷ In the same way, he also who got the two gained another two.

   ¹⁸ But he who received the one talent went away and dug in the earth and hid his lord’s money.

   ¹⁹ “Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and settled accounts with them.

   ²⁰ He who received the five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Behold, I have gained another five talents in addition to them.’

   ²¹ “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

   ²² “He also who got the two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents in addition to them.’

   ²³ “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things. I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

   ²⁴ “He also who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you didn’t sow, and gathering where you didn’t scatter.

   ²⁵ I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.’

   ²⁶ “But his lord answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow, and gather where I didn’t scatter.

   ²⁷ You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest.

   ²⁸ Take away therefore the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.

   ²⁹ For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away.

   ³⁰ Throw out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

   Read the full chapter

   Understanding the passage

   The parable contrasts responses to entrusted goods during an absence; it is not a promise of financial returns.

   Reflect

   • What do the servants do with what they receive, and how do they account for it?

   Put it into practice

   Identify an entrusted resource and an honest way to care for it.

   Next lesson →

5. 5. Two sons and a father - Read lesson

   World English Bible

   Luke 15:11-32

   ¹¹ He said, “A certain man had two sons.

   ¹² The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ So he divided his livelihood between them.

   ¹³ Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living.

   ¹⁴ When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need.

   ¹⁵ He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs.

   ¹⁶ He wanted to fill his belly with the pods that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any.

   ¹⁷ But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger!

   ¹⁸ I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.

   ¹⁹ I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”’

   ²⁰ “He arose and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran, fell on his neck, and kissed him.

   ²¹ The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

   ²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.

   ²³ Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let’s eat and celebrate;

   ²⁴ for this, my son, was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’ Then they began to celebrate.

   ²⁵ “Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

   ²⁶ He called one of the servants to him and asked what was going on.

   ²⁷ He said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and healthy.’

   ²⁸ But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and begged him.

   ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.

   ³⁰ But when this your son came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’

   ³¹ “He said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.

   ³² But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’”

   Read the full chapter

   Understanding the passage

   The parable responds to criticism of Jesus’ welcome; both the return and the older brother’s resentment deserve attention.

   Reflect

   • What keeps the older brother outside the celebration?

   Put it into practice

   Examine whether another person’s restoration is difficult to welcome.