Jesus spoke clearly and directly to those around him on most occasions. However, at times he spoke in parables \u2013 stories that may or may not have happened, but that illustrated a point. If you don\u2019t understand all of these parables, don\u2019t feel too badly, even Jesus\u2019 disciples asked him what some of them meant. We hope you\u2019ll understand this rundown of the Top Ten Parables Jesus Told.<\/p>\n
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#10: The Pharisee And The Tax Collector <\/strong><\/p>\n Luke 18:9-14<\/p>\n 9<\/small><\/span> And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:<\/p> 10<\/small><\/span> \"Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.<\/p> 11<\/small><\/span> \"The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.<\/p> 12<\/small><\/span> 'I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.'<\/p> 13<\/small><\/span> \"But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!'<\/p> 14<\/small><\/span> \"I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.\"<\/p><\/div>\n Translation: NASB<\/em><\/p>\n Luke 15:1-7<\/p>\n 1<\/small><\/span> Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him.<\/p> 2<\/small><\/span> Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, \"This man receives sinners and eats with them.\"<\/p> 3<\/small><\/span> So He told them this parable, saying,<\/p> 4<\/small><\/span> \"What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?<\/p> 5<\/small><\/span> \"When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.<\/p> 6<\/small><\/span> \"And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'<\/p> 7<\/small><\/span> \"I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.<\/p><\/div>\n Translation: NASB<\/em> Matthew 13:47-50<\/p>\n 47<\/small><\/span> \"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind;<\/p> 48<\/small><\/span> and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away.<\/p> 49<\/small><\/span> \"So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous,<\/p> 50<\/small><\/span> and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.<\/p><\/div>\n Translation: NASB<\/em><\/p>\n Luke 19:11-27<\/p>\n 11<\/small><\/span> While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.<\/p> 12<\/small><\/span> So He said, \"A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return.<\/p> 13<\/small><\/span> \"And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, 'Do business with this until I come back.'<\/p> 14<\/small><\/span> \"But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to reign over us.'<\/p> 15<\/small><\/span> \"When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done.<\/p> 16<\/small><\/span> \"The first appeared, saying, 'Master, your mina has made ten minas more.'<\/p> 17<\/small><\/span> \"And he said to him, 'Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.'<\/p> 18<\/small><\/span> \"The second came, saying, 'Your mina, master, has made five minas.'<\/p> 19<\/small><\/span> \"And he said to him also, 'And you are to be over five cities.'<\/p> 20<\/small><\/span> \"Another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief;<\/p> 21<\/small><\/span> for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.'<\/p> 22<\/small><\/span> \"He *said to him, 'By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow?<\/p> 23<\/small><\/span> 'Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?'<\/p> 24<\/small><\/span> \"Then he said to the bystanders, 'Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.'<\/p> 25<\/small><\/span> \"And they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas already.'<\/p> 26<\/small><\/span> \"I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.<\/p> 27<\/small><\/span> \"But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.\"<\/p><\/div>\n Translation: NASB<\/em><\/p>\n Matthew 9:31-35<\/p>\n 31<\/small><\/span> But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land.<\/p> 32<\/small><\/span> As they were going out, a mute, demon-possessed man was brought to Him.<\/p> 33<\/small><\/span> After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, \"Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.\"<\/p> 34<\/small><\/span> But the Pharisees were saying, \"He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.\"<\/p> 35<\/small><\/span> Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.<\/p><\/div>\n Translation: NASB<\/em><\/p>\n Other Parables One thing is crystal clear about Jesus\u2019 parables, there were too many for our list. Here are some of those we couldn\u2019t include:<\/p>\n The Lost Coin Luke 15:8-10<\/p>\nSomething went wrong with the bible. Please make sure that you are requesting a valid passage! If this problem presits please contact joshuawiecorek@outlook.com\n Translation: NASB<\/em><\/p>\n The Shrewd Manager<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Luke 16:1-15<\/p>\n 1<\/small><\/span> Now He was also saying to the disciples, \"There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions.<\/p> 2<\/small><\/span> \"And he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.'<\/p> 3<\/small><\/span> \"The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg.<\/p> 4<\/small><\/span> 'I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.'<\/p> 5<\/small><\/span> \"And he summoned each one of his master's debtors, and he began saying to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'<\/p> 6<\/small><\/span> \"And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'<\/p> 7<\/small><\/span> \"Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' He *said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'<\/p> 8<\/small><\/span> \"And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light.<\/p> 9<\/small><\/span> \"And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.<\/p> 10<\/small><\/span> \"He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.<\/p> 11<\/small><\/span> \"Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?<\/p> 12<\/small><\/span> \"And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?<\/p> 13<\/small><\/span> \"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.\"<\/p> 14<\/small><\/span> Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him.<\/p> 15<\/small><\/span> And He said to them, \"You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.<\/p><\/div>\n Translation: NASB<\/em><\/p>\n The Tenants<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Luke 20:9-19<\/p>\n 9<\/small><\/span> And He began to tell the people this parable: \"A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to vine-growers, and went on a journey for a long time.<\/p> 10<\/small><\/span> \"At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, so that they would give him some of the produce of the vineyard; but the vine-growers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.<\/p> 11<\/small><\/span> \"And he proceeded to send another slave; and they beat him also and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed.<\/p> 12<\/small><\/span> \"And he proceeded to send a third; and this one also they wounded and cast out.<\/p> 13<\/small><\/span> \"The owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.'<\/p> 14<\/small><\/span> \"But when the vine-growers saw him, they reasoned with one another, saying, 'This is the heir; let us kill him so that the inheritance will be ours.'<\/p> 15<\/small><\/span> \"So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What, then, will the owner of the vineyard do to them?<\/p> 16<\/small><\/span> \"He will come and destroy these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others.\" When they heard it, they said, \"May it never be!\"<\/p> 17<\/small><\/span> But Jesus looked at them and said, \"What then is this that is written: 'THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone'?<\/p> 18<\/small><\/span> \"Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.\"<\/p> 19<\/small><\/span> The scribes and the chief priests tried to lay hands on Him that very hour, and they feared the people; for they understood that He spoke this parable against them.<\/p><\/div>\n Translation: NASB<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n #5: The Rich Fool<\/strong><\/p>\n John 12:13-21<\/p>\n 13<\/small><\/span> took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, \"Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel.\"<\/p> 14<\/small><\/span> Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written,<\/p> 15<\/small><\/span> \"FEAR NOT, DAUGHTER OF ZION; BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING, SEATED ON A DONKEY'S COLT.\"<\/p> 16<\/small><\/span> These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him.<\/p> 17<\/small><\/span> So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him.<\/p> 18<\/small><\/span> For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign.<\/p> 19<\/small><\/span> So the Pharisees said to one another, \"You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.\"<\/p> 20<\/small><\/span> Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast;<\/p> 21<\/small><\/span> these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, \"Sir, we wish to see Jesus.\"<\/p><\/div>\n Translation: NASB<\/em> Matthew 13:1-23<\/p>\n 1<\/small><\/span> That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea.<\/p> 2<\/small><\/span> And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.<\/p> 3<\/small><\/span> And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, \"Behold, the sower went out to sow;<\/p> 4<\/small><\/span> and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up.<\/p> 5<\/small><\/span> \"Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil.<\/p> 6<\/small><\/span> \"But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.<\/p> 7<\/small><\/span> \"Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.<\/p> 8<\/small><\/span> \"And others fell on the good soil and *yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.<\/p> 9<\/small><\/span> \"He who has ears, let him hear.\"<\/p> 10<\/small><\/span> And the disciples came and said to Him, \"Why do You speak to them in parables?\"<\/p> 11<\/small><\/span> Jesus answered them, \"To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.<\/p> 12<\/small><\/span> \"For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.<\/p> 13<\/small><\/span> \"Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.<\/p> 14<\/small><\/span> \"In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, 'YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;<\/p> 15<\/small><\/span> FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.'<\/p> 16<\/small><\/span> \"But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.<\/p> 17<\/small><\/span> \"For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.<\/p> 18<\/small><\/span> \"Hear then the parable of the sower.<\/p> 19<\/small><\/span> \"When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.<\/p> 20<\/small><\/span> \"The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;<\/p> 21<\/small><\/span> yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.<\/p> 22<\/small><\/span> \"And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.<\/p> 23<\/small><\/span> \"And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.\"<\/p><\/div>\n Translation: NASB<\/em><\/p>\n #3: The Persistent Widow<\/strong><\/p>\n Luke 18:1-8<\/p>\n 1<\/small><\/span> Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart,<\/p> 2<\/small><\/span> saying, \"In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man.<\/p>Chapter 18<\/h4>
\n#9: The Lost Sheep<\/strong><\/p>\nChapter 15<\/h4>
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\n#8: The Net<\/strong><\/p>\nChapter 13<\/h4>
\n#7: The Ten Minas<\/strong><\/p>\nChapter 19<\/h4>
\n#6: The Mustard Seed And The Yeast<\/strong><\/p>\nChapter 9<\/h4>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nChapter 16<\/h4>
Chapter 20<\/h4>
Chapter 12<\/h4>
\n#4: The Sower<\/strong><\/p>\nChapter 13<\/h4>
Chapter 18<\/h4>