Results for “Parable”
Encyclopedia article
Parable
A parable is a form of speech that conveys spiritual truth through comparison with everyday objects or stories familiar to the listener. In the church the term usually refers to the parables of Jesus recorded in the Gospels, which deal chiefly with the kingdom of God.
Articles 152, showing 20
- Parable of the Mustard SeedBible
The Parable of the Mustard Seed is a parable of Jesus that likens the kingdom of God to a tiny mustard seed that grows large enough for birds to lodge in its branches. It appears in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
- Parable of the MinasBible
The Parable of the Minas is a parable of Jesus found in Luke 19:11-27. It tells of a nobleman who goes to a far country to receive a kingdom, entrusts one mina to each of ten servants, and on his return settles accounts with them.
- Parable of the SowerBible
The Parable of the Sower is a parable in which Jesus used the image of seed falling by the wayside, on stony ground, among thorns, and on good ground to teach about the different ways people respond to the word. It appears in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
- Parable of the TaresBible
The Parable of the Tares is a parable of Jesus about the kingdom of God and the final judgment. In it, an enemy sows tares in a wheat field, and the owner lets them grow alongside the wheat until the harvest. It appears only in the Gospel of Matthew.
- Parable of the Prodigal SonBible
The Parable of the Prodigal Son is a parable of Jesus recorded in Luke 15:11-32. It tells of a father who welcomes home his younger son after the son has squandered his share of the estate. It is also known as the parable of the "returning prodigal."
- Parable of the Unjust StewardBible
A parable of Jesus recorded in Luke 16:1-13. A steward facing dismissal reduces the debts owed to his master in order to provide for his own future, and the master commends his shrewdness. The parable teaches about the right attitude toward wealth.
- Parable of the Lost CoinBible
The Parable of the Lost Coin is a parable of Jesus found in Luke 15:8-10. It tells of a woman who loses one silver coin, finds it, and rejoices with her neighbors, and it speaks of the joy before God when one sinner repents.
- Parable of the Good SamaritanBible
The Parable of the Good Samaritan is a parable of Jesus recorded in Luke 10:25-37. In answer to a lawyer's question, "And who is my neighbour?", Jesus tells the story of a Samaritan who helped a man who had been attacked by robbers.
- Parable of the LeavenBible
The Parable of the Leaven is a short parable in which Jesus likens the kingdom of God to "leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." It appears in Matthew 13 and Luke 13.
- Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the PearlBible
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl are two brief parables of Jesus recorded in Matthew 13:44-46. They convey the worth of the kingdom of God by depicting a person who discovers it and joyfully sells everything he owns to obtain it.
- Parable of the Lost SheepBible
The Parable of the Lost Sheep is a parable of Jesus in which a shepherd with a hundred sheep goes in search of the one that has gone astray and rejoices when he finds it. It appears in Luke 15 and Matthew 18.
- Parable of the TalentsBible
The Parable of the Talents is a parable of Jesus found in Matthew 25:14-30. Before going on a journey, a master entrusts his property to his servants. On his return, he settles accounts with each of them over how they used what they had been given.
- Parable of the Ten VirginsBible
The Parable of the Ten Virgins is a parable of Jesus found in Matthew 25:1–13. It tells of ten virgins waiting for a bridegroom, of whom only the five who had prepared oil in advance entered the wedding feast, and it teaches believers to watch and be ready for the Second Coming.
- Parable of the Wedding FeastBible
The Parable of the Wedding Feast is a parable of Jesus found in Matthew 22:1-14. A king invites guests to his son's wedding feast, but they refuse; he then has people gathered from the highways to fill the feast. Luke 14 contains a similar "Parable of the Great Banquet."
- Parable of the Wicked HusbandmenBible
The Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen is a parable of Jesus in which the tenants entrusted with a vineyard kill the servants sent by the owner and finally his son as well. It appears in Matthew, Mark, and Luke and is read as a warning to the leaders who rejected Jesus.
- Parable of the Workers in the VineyardBible
The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard is a parable of Jesus recorded in Matthew 20:1–16. In it, laborers who worked from early morning and laborers who arrived near sundown all receive the same wage. The parable conveys the grace of the kingdom of God and the teaching that "the last shall be first."
- Parable of the Rich FoolBible
The Parable of the Rich Fool is a parable of Jesus found in Luke 12:13–21. It tells of a rich man who enlarges his barns, stores up his wealth, and feels secure, only to hear the words "this night thy soul shall be required of thee." The parable warns against covetousness.
- Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax CollectorBible
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector is a parable of Jesus found in Luke 18:9–14. A Pharisee boasts of his own righteousness, while a tax collector pleads for mercy, and it is the tax collector who goes home justified. The parable teaches humility and the proper attitude in prayer.
- Parable of the Sheep and the GoatsBible
The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats is Jesus' teaching in Matthew 25:31-46, in which the returning Son of Man judges all nations, separating them as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. Through this scene Jesus teaches that whatever is done for the least of his brethren is done for him.