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The teachings of Jesus
The Parables of Jesus
Jesus often taught in parables, short, vivid stories from everyday life that reveal the Kingdom of God and search the heart.
The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)
A father runs to welcome home the son who wasted everything.
The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)
The neighbor is the one who shows mercy, even the outsider.
The Sower (Matthew 13:1-23)
The same seed, four kinds of soil, four kinds of heart.
The Lost Sheep (Luke 15:3-7)
The shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to find the one.
The Talents (Matthew 25:14-30)
Faithfulness with what you were given, not how much.
The Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32)
The smallest beginning becomes a shelter for many.
The Wheat and the Tares (Matthew 13:24-30)
Good and evil grow together until the harvest.
The Pearl of Great Price (Matthew 13:45-46)
A merchant sells everything for one perfect pearl.
The Rich Fool (Luke 12:16-21)
He stored up wealth, but his soul was required that night.
The Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:21-35)
Forgiven an impossible debt, he would not forgive a small one.
The Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13)
Five were ready for the bridegroom, five were not.
The Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13:44)
He found treasure in a field and joyfully bought the whole field.
The Lost Coin (Luke 15:8-10)
A woman sweeps the whole house for one lost coin, then throws a party.
The Wise and Foolish Builders (Matthew 7:24-27)
One house stood in the storm, one fell, and the difference was the foundation.
The Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16)
Everyone received the same wage, and grace looked unfair.
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14)
One boasted, one begged for mercy, and the humble one went home justified.
The Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)
A great gulf, fixed too late, and a warning for the living.
The Great Banquet (Luke 14:15-24)
The invited made excuses, so the poor and the outsider filled the table.
Nearly every parable answers one question: what is the Kingdom of God like? They show a Kingdom that starts small and grows, that is worth everything, and that belongs to the humble.
Is there a parable that has spoken to you? Bring it into your own Kingdom, and let it keep speaking.