Parables
The parables of Jesus, one by one — what each story says, where it appears in the Gospels, and what it meant to its first hearers.
Jesus taught in stories. Each entry below gives the story, the setting it was told in, and what it meant, and the table shows which Gospels preserve it, so you can compare Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John side by side.
Gospel Parallels
A check mark shows which Gospels record the story. Entries outside the Gospels have no marks.
All Parables
- The Parable of the Good Samaritan
The Parable of the Good Samaritan — Jesus's story of a wounded traveler helped by a despised Samaritan after a priest and Levite passed by, teaching that neighbor-love crosses every boundary.
- The Parable of the Prodigal Son
The Parable of the Prodigal Son — Jesus's story of a younger son who squanders his inheritance and returns home to a forgiving father, teaching God's welcome of repentant sinners.
- The Parable of the Sower
The Parable of the Sower — Jesus's story of seed falling on four kinds of soil, teaching that the word of the kingdom bears fruit only where it is truly received.
- The Parable of the Mustard Seed
The Parable of the Mustard Seed — Jesus's short story of the tiniest seed growing into a large plant that shelters birds, teaching that God's kingdom grows from small beginnings to great reach.
- The Parable of the Lost Sheep
The Parable of the Lost Sheep — Jesus's story of a shepherd who leaves ninety-nine sheep to find one that strayed, teaching God's persistent care for the lost and joy over their return.
- The Parable of the Talents
The Parable of the Talents — Jesus's story of three servants entrusted with money while their master travels, teaching faithful stewardship and readiness for accountability when he returns.
- The Parable of the Ten Virgins
The Parable of the Ten Virgins — Jesus's story of five wise and five foolish bridesmaids waiting for a delayed bridegroom, teaching readiness for his return since the day and hour are unknown.
- The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds
The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds — Jesus's story of an enemy sowing weeds among a farmer's wheat, teaching that good and evil grow together until God sorts them at the harvest.
- The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats
The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats — Jesus's picture of the final judgment, where the nations are separated by whether they cared for the hungry, the sick, and the imprisoned.
- The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus — Jesus's story of a wealthy man who ignores a beggar at his gate and later suffers in Hades, warning against wealth without compassion.
- The Parable of the Lost Coin
The Parable of the Lost Coin — Jesus's short story of a woman who searches her house for one lost silver coin, teaching the joy in heaven over every sinner who repents.
- The Parable of the Rich Fool
The Parable of the Rich Fool — Jesus's story of a wealthy farmer who builds bigger barns for his abundant harvest and dies that night, warning against greed and storing up treasure for oneself.
- The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant — Jesus's story of a servant forgiven a huge debt who refuses to forgive a small one, teaching that receiving God's mercy obliges us to forgive others.
- The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard — Jesus's story of laborers hired at different hours who all receive the same wage, teaching that God's kingdom runs on generous grace, not earned reward.
- The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders
The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders — Jesus's closing image of two houses, one on rock and one on sand, teaching that hearing his words without obeying them leaves a life unable to stand.
- The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants — Jesus's story of vineyard farmers who kill the owner's servants and son, an indictment of Israel's leaders and a hint of his own death and vindication.
- The Parable of the Persistent Widow
The Parable of the Persistent Widow — Jesus's story of a widow who wears down an unjust judge by asking again and again, teaching disciples to pray always and not lose heart.
- The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector — Jesus's story of two men praying in the temple, one boasting and one begging mercy, teaching that God justifies the humble, not the self-righteous.
- The Parable of the Leaven
The Parable of the Leaven — Jesus's one-sentence story of a woman mixing yeast into a large batch of flour until it is all leavened, teaching that God's kingdom works quietly and thoroughly from within.
- The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure — Jesus's one-verse story of a man who finds treasure in a field and joyfully sells everything to buy it, teaching that the kingdom is worth any price.
- The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price
The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price — Jesus's two-verse story of a merchant who sells everything to buy one perfect pearl, teaching that God's kingdom is worth more than all else.
- The Parable of the Two Sons
The Parable of the Two Sons — Jesus's story of a son who refuses his father and then obeys, and another who agrees and does nothing, showing that action matters more than words.
- The Parable of the Wedding Banquet
The Parable of the Wedding Banquet — Jesus's story of a king whose invited guests refuse his son's wedding feast, so others are brought in, teaching that many are called but few are chosen.
- The Parable of the Great Banquet
The Parable of the Great Banquet — Jesus's story of a host whose invited guests all make excuses, so he fills his house with the poor and outcast, teaching that God's invitation reaches the unlikely.
- The Parable of the Shrewd Manager
The Parable of the Shrewd Manager — Jesus's puzzling story of a steward who cuts his master's debts to secure his future, teaching disciples to use wealth wisely and serve God rather than money.
- The Parable of the Friend at Midnight
The Parable of the Friend at Midnight — Jesus's story of a man who wakes a neighbor at night to borrow bread, teaching bold and persistent prayer to a Father who is far more generous.
- The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree — Jesus's story of a vineyard owner who wants to cut down a fruitless tree while the gardener pleads for one more year, showing God's patience and the urgency of repentance.
- The Good Shepherd Discourse
The Good Shepherd Discourse — Jesus's teaching in John 10 in which he calls himself the door and the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep, using pastoral imagery as an extended metaphor.
- The True Vine
The True Vine — Jesus's farewell teaching in John 15 in which he calls himself the vine and his followers the branches, an extended metaphor about abiding in him and bearing fruit.
- The Parable of the Dragnet
The Parable of the Dragnet — Jesus's story of a fishing net that gathers every kind of fish and is sorted on the shore, teaching that the kingdom includes a mixed company until the final judgment.
- The Parable of the Growing Seed
The Parable of the Growing Seed — Jesus's story of a farmer who sows grain and sleeps while it grows by itself, teaching that God's kingdom advances steadily and surely until the harvest.
- The Parable of the Lamp Under a Basket
The Parable of the Lamp Under a Basket — Jesus's saying that no one lights a lamp to hide it, teaching that disciples are to let their light shine and that what is hidden will be revealed.
- The Parable of New Wine in Old Wineskins
The Parable of New Wine in Old Wineskins — Jesus's answer about fasting using cloth patches and wineskins, teaching that his new kingdom cannot be contained within old forms.
- The Lesson of the Fig Tree
The Lesson of the Fig Tree — Jesus's comparison on the Mount of Olives that budding leaves signal summer, so the signs he described show that the promised events are near.
- The Parable of the Faithful and Wicked Servant
The Parable of the Faithful and Wicked Servant — Jesus's story of a household manager rewarded for faithfulness or punished for abusing his position while his master is away, teaching readiness for his return.
- The Parable of the Watchful Servants
The Parable of the Watchful Servants — Jesus's story of servants waiting for a master to return, teaching disciples to stay alert and ready because the hour of his coming is unknown.
- The Parable of the Ten Minas
The Parable of the Ten Minas — Jesus's story of a nobleman who entrusts money to ten servants before going away to receive a kingdom, teaching faithful use of what God gives until he returns.
- The Parables of the Tower Builder and the Warring King
The Parables of the Tower Builder and the Warring King — two paired stories in which Jesus urges would-be followers to count the cost of discipleship before committing to it.
- The Parable of the Two Debtors
The Parable of the Two Debtors — Jesus's story of two people whose debts are cancelled, told at a Pharisee's dinner to show that the one forgiven most loves most.
- The Parable of the Master and Servant
The Parable of the Master and Servant — Jesus's brief story of a servant who finishes his work and expects no special thanks, teaching that obedience is a duty and not a claim on God.