Harmony’s Parables of Christ
A substantial amount of Jesus’ teachings, as much as one-third, were in parables. Early on I was told that a parable is “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning”, while memorable its helpful to understand that it was a common Rabbinical teaching technique. In fact, archives from the first century include more than 3,500 Rabbinic parables among them 18 in the Old Testament and these 30 parables of Jesus and another 23 similes. Weather on a felt board or a mountainside this form of catalytic teaching ignites our imagination, intellect and heartfelt response.1
Sort the table of 30 parables chronologically as they appear in the Harmony of the Gospels or by writer, lesson/week, or audience2 clicking the () sort icon in the column header. While we encourage members to use the Harmony to disciple others in a three-year study, this page may provide a Bible study group, youth group or Sunday school class a helpful introduction to the Harmony of the Gospels.
Parables of Jesus3
Section | Parable | Week | Audience | Matthew | Mark | Luke | John |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
64b | Parable of the Sower and the soils | 55 | Crowd | Mt 13:3b-9, 18-23 | Mk 4:3-9, 13-20 | Lk 8:5-7, 11-15 | |
109 | Parable of the barren fig tree | 98 | Crowd | Lk 13:6-9 | |||
64d | Parable of the weeds | 56 | Crowd | Mt 13:24-30, 36-43 | Mk 4:26-34 | ||
103 | Parable of the Good Samaritan | 90 | Rulers | Lk 10:25-37 | |||
59 | Parable of two debtors | 50 | Rulers | Lk 7:41-43 | |||
108b | Parable of a rich man | 95 | Crowd | Lk 12:16-21 | |||
64c | Parable of the Seed that is sown | 56 | Crowd | Mk 4:26-29 | |||
64e | Parable of the Mustard Seed | 56 | Crowd | Mt 13:31-32 | Mk 4:30-32 | ||
64f | Parable of the leavened loaf | 57 | Crowd | Mt 13:33 | |||
64h | Parable of the Hidden Treasure | 58 | Crowd | Mt 13:44 | |||
64i | Parable of the Pearl of Great Price, | 58 | Crowd | Mt 13:45-46 | |||
64j | Parable of the Net | 58 | Crowd | Mt 13:47-50 | |||
64k | Parable of the house owner | 58 | Crowd | Mt 13:51-52 | |||
116 | Parable of the Lost Sheep | 105 | Rulers | Lk 15:3-7 | |||
116 | Parable of the Lost Coin | 105 | Rulers | Lk 15:8-10 | |||
116 | Parable of the Prodigal Son | 105 | Rulers | Lk 15:11-32 | |||
117a | Parable of the Unjust Steward | 106 | Disciples | Lk 16:1-13 | |||
132b | Parable of the Two Sons | 129 | Rulers | Mt 21:28–32 | |||
132b | Parable of the Master who planted a vineyard | 129 | Rulers | Mt 21:33–46 | Mk 12:1–12 | Lk 20:9–19 | |
132b | Parable of the wedding | 129 | Rulers | Mt 22:1-14 | |||
139e | Parable of the fig tree | 138 | Disciples | Mt 24:32-35 | Mk 13:28-31 | Lk 21:29-33 | |
139f | Parable of the porter | 139 | Disciples | Mk 13:33-37 | |||
139f | Parable of the Master of the house | 139 | Disciples | Mt 24:43-44 | |||
139f | Parable of the faithful and evil servants | 139 | Disciples | Mt 24:45-51 | |||
139f | Parable of the ten virgins | 139 | Disciples | Mt 25:1-13 | |||
139f | Parable of the talents | 139 | Disciples | Mt 25:14-30 | |||
117b | Parable of the rich man and Lazarus | 107 | Pharisees | Lk 16:19-31 | |||
121 | Parable of the persistent widow | 113 | Disciples | Lk 18:1-5 | |||
121 | Parable of two praying men | 113 | Disciples | Lk 18:9-14 | |||
124b | Parable of the Landowner’s sovereignty | 117 | Disciples | Mt 20:1-16 |
Similes, Metaphors and Epigrams of Jesus4
Section | Simile | Week | Audience | Matthew | Mark | Luke | John |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
48 | New wine in old wine skins | 34 | Crowd | Mt 9:17 | Mk 2:22 | Lk 5:37 | |
48 | New Cloth Patch on an Old Coat | 34 | Crowd | Mt 9:16 | Mk 2:21 | Lk 5:36 | |
70b | Wise as serpents, and harmless as doves | 64 | Disciples | Mt 10:16 | |||
54h | Wise and foolish builders | 46 | Crowd | Mt 7:24-27 | Lk 6:47-49 | ||
64b | Lamp on a stand (second time) | 55 | Crowd | Mk 4:21-22 | Lk 8:16 | ||
70b | as sheep among wolves | 64 | Disciples | Mt 10:16 | |||
113b | Go tell that fox | 102 | Rulers | Lk 13:32 | |||
98 | I AM the light of the world | 85 | Crowd | Jn 8:12 | |||
27 | I saw the Spirit come down | 17 | Crowd | Jn 1:32 | |||
76a | I AM the bread | 68 | Crowd | Jn 6:35,41, 48,51,58 | |||
149 | I AM the way and the truth and the life | 147 | Disciples | Jn 14:6 | |||
150a | I AM the true vine | 148 | Disciples | Jn 15:1,5 | |||
150a | You are the branches… bear much fruit | 148 | Disciples | Jn 15:5 | |||
54c | You are the salt of the earth | 42 | Crowd | Mt 5:13 | |||
54c | You are the light of the world | 42 | Disciples | Mt 5:14-16 | |||
101a | I AM the gate for the sheep | 88 | Rulers | Jn 10:7 | |||
101a | I AM the good shepherd | 88 | Rulers | Jn 10:11 | |||
118b | I AM the resurrection and the life | 109 | Disciples | Jn 11:25 | |||
149 | a well of water springing up into everlasting life | 147 | Disciples | Jn 14:4 | |||
96b | come unto me, and drink | 83 | Crowd | Jn 7:37 | |||
22 | every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit | 13 | Rulers | Mt 3:10 | |||
148 | This is my body | 146 | Disciples | Mt 26:26 | |||
106 | Lamp of the body | 92 | Rulers | Lk 11:33 |
- Because Jesus himself was a Hebrew rabbi (and Messiah) it is more important to understand the Hebrew word משל/mashal (H4912) than the Greek word (parabole) which can be used for a riddle, comparison or proverb. For an exhaustive understanding of parables read: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
- The column heading “Audience” refers to the original audience to who the parable or simile was spoken. We use the term “Rulers” to mean Pharisees, Priests, Scribes and the Sanhedrin; meanwhile the term “Disciples” includes both disciples and the Apostles (who were also disciples); while we use the term “Crowd” for the masses and followers who were not yet disciples.
- A parable uses imagery, comparison, juxtaposition and implications, to generate deeper understanding of complex subjects and an intended heart-filled response. Parables are more complete that a simile in that they are a complete story with a beginning, ending and plot. They are “different from an allegory in that the purpose of the story is not found in the points of comparison but in the intended response.” (Fee & Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All its Worth, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1993, p. 140.) “thus forcing people to determine their attitude toward Him and His message of the Kingdom of God” (Marshall & Tasker in New Bible Dictionary: Parables). While the Gospel according to John doesn’t include any parables, he does provide us with the most similes including the great I AM’s of Christ (see table below).
- Some versions and Bible translations categorize the stories of Jesus differently in their section headings (for example, Sec. 34 has the heading of “three parables…” but they are in fact similies. A simile is like a parable except that it is not expanded into a complete story. Addionally we have included phrases like “You are the salt of the earth” which is a metaphor and “Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes” which is an epigram. A metaphor is an implicit comparison between two essentially unlike things. While a metaphor is not so true to fact as a Simile, it is much truer to feeling. While the Gospel according to John doesn’t include any parables, he does provide us with the most number of similes including the great I AM’s of Christ.