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THE PARABLES OF JESUS

Matthew 13:12 — Will be given more. Those who have made some progress, will find still more. Jesus repeated this
principle in the Parable of the Three Servants (Matthew 25:29). Will have taken away. Those who do not have a great
desire to please God (Matthew 5:6), will lose their ability to respond to God. An opportunity—UNUSED—turns into a
punishment.
Matthew 13:24 — Jesus told them another parable. Jesus used a series of parables to tell and explain the
characteristics of the Kingdom. In this parable, the Kingdom of heaven is the man who sowed good seed. Good seed. The
message about the Kingdom (Matthew 13:19). The Kingdom (people) do what the sower does in this parable. It sows the
good seed. His field. Not the Kingdom/church. It is the place where the good seed is sowed. The field is the world
(Matthew 13:38).
Matthew 13:36-43 — 36-43. Tell us what the parable of the weeds in the field means. This parable is in Matthew
13:24-30. (1) The Kingdom is compared to the man who sows. (2) The man is the Son of God—Jesus himself. [Son of
Man—see Luke 22:69-70] Jesus sows
Matthew 13:4 — As he scattered the seed. Jesus explains the meaning of this parable in Matthew 13:18-23. As the
man scattered the seed, he could not avoid getting some of it into places not right for it. Along the path. Narrow footpaths
crisscrossed the fields. As the seed lay on the hard-packed ground, the birds would eat it.
Matthew 13:45-46 — 45-46 The Kingdom of heaven is like a buyer. Pearls were extremely valuable. When he finds
one unusually fine, he sells everything to be able to buy it. The treasure of Matthew 13:44 was found by accident, while
the pearl was "looked for." Yet both parables illustrate the attitude which "searches out" God and wisdom. Eternal life is
worth any price! Jesus produced the treasure that we search to find (Romans 5:17).
Matthew 18:35 — That is how my Father in heaven will treat you. Jesus says my heavenly Father. God will not be
their Father, unless they imitate the spirit of Christ. The parable is to show that God forgives us the impossibly huge debt
of sin [through our union with
Matthew 20:1 — The Kingdom of heaven is like the owner. This is a parable to teach plainly what Jesus has just said
in the last few verses of chapter 19. The owner is God. The vineyard is the Kingdom of Christ, which here includes the
world (Matthew 13:38). [The people of the Kingdom work in the world to recruit new people for the Kingdom.] The workers
represent the disciples of Christ. Who went out early in the morning. Those looking for work would meet in the market
place and wait for someone to hire them.
Matthew 24:45-51 — Who, then, is the faithful and wise servant? This parable is also found in Luke [it may have
been told many times by Jesus]. See also 2 Peter 3:1-9, The central idea of this parable is that God's people should not
try to "boss" each other, thinking
Matthew 5:44-45 — 44-45. But now I tell you. Christ presents God's Truth. Love is the basic law of Christ's
Kingdom. See the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). The kind of love which Jesus commands is a
deliberate Acts, rather than an emotion. For this reason, we are able to "love" those whom we do not "like," even enemies.
This is the kind of love which God shows us (Romans 5:6-11). See the "New Commandment" (John 13:34-35).
Matthew 9:7 — The man got up and went home. This is a parable of sin and salvation. The paralyzed man can
symbolize the sinner, unable to help himself (John 6:44-45; John 15:5); he showed his faith by coming to Jesus (Psalm
25:15; Psalm 86:2; Psalm 86:7 : James 2:22); and God's grace is shown in the ability to obey the command, received in
the very attempt to comply with it (1 Peter 1:22; Philippians 4:13).
Mark 11:1-12 — 1-12. Then Jesus spoke to them in parables. Matthew gives more detail about this series of parables
which outline the sins and doom of the unbelieving Jews. [The Jews who believed (Acts 21:20) were not included in this
doom.] There was a man who planted a vineyard. See notes on Matthew 21:33-46.
Mark 13:37 — Watch! Matthew tells how Jesus stressed this by using the parables of the Ten Girls (Matthew 25:1-13);
The Three Servants (Matthew 25:14-30); and his picture of the Judgment when he gathers all earth's people and
separates them into two groups (Matthew 25:31-46).
Luke 10:25-29 — 25-29. A certain teacher of the Law. Only Luke tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan, the Lost
Song of Solomon, and the Rich Man and Lazarus. Tried to trap Jesus. His motive was not right. What must I do? Jesus
told people to turn from sin. This man
Luke 11:5-8 — Friend, let me borrow three loaves of bread. Jesus gave this parable to teach that we should not be
ashamed to keep on asking God for what we need. Compare Matthew 7:7-11; also the parable of the Widow and the
Judges, Luke 18:1-8. My children and I are in bed. He cannot get up without waking them up. Because you are not
ashamed to keep on asking. How much more we ought to EXPECT from our Father in heaven!
Luke 12:13-14 — A man in the crowd said to him. Only Luke gives this parable of the Rich Fool. Tell my brother.
Whether this man's brother had been unfair or not, isn't told. But the parable shows that the one who said this was
motivated by greed. He wants Jesus on
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Luke 15:3-6 — Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep. Jesus gives three parables in this chapter to show God's
love for his creation. A shepherd who lost one sheep would go out looking for it, even though the ninety-nine were safe.
He puts it on his shoulders. A common custom. I am so happy! This is God's attitude when a "lost one" is found! Every
servant of Christ should share this happiness when a sinner turns to God.
Luke 16:19 — There was once a rich man. Jesus tells this to illustrate the result of a wrong attitude and misuse of
worldly wealth. The parable of the Shrewd Manager showed how worldly wealth is to be used; this parable shows the
horror which a failure to use worldly
Luke 18:9 — Jesus also told this parable. He must mean the Pharisees, since they were sanctimonious. Rabbi
Simeon, a Pharisee, is supposed to have said: "If there were only thirty righteous men in the world like Abraham, my son
and I would be two of them; if only two, my son and I would be those; if only one, it would be myself."
Luke 7:40-43 — 40-43. Jesus spoke up. He answers the unspoken question of Simon. Two men who owed money.
This is a parable - using common things to teach spiritual truth. Neither could pay him back. Both were helpless, as we all
are before God. So he canceled the debts. This is GRACE: an undeserved favor. Which one, then? Grace brings love.
Will one love him more than the other? The one who was forgiven more. This is Simon's evaluation. By it he judges
himself.
Luke 12:47-48 — The servant who knows. This servant deliberately sins. But the servant who does not know. This
servant sins through ignorance. This parable points especially to those who listen to Jesus and were pleased with what he
said, but made no attempt to learn its meaning or apply it to their lives. The greatest work is to believe in Christ (John
6:29). The greatest sin is to reject Christ (Matthew 12:31-32). Degrees of reward and punishment become meaningless
when compared with Eternal Joy or Eternal Punishment.
Luke 14:15-24 — How happy are those. This is the happiness which God gives. It is a great honor to be "rescued
from the power of darkness and brought safe into the Kingdom of Christ" (see Colossians 1:13). But many are not ready
and willing for this! Matthew gives
Luke 15:11-13 — There was a man who had two sons. The parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin symbolize
Christ searching for the lost sinner. This parable of the Lost Son shows the lost sinner bringing himself back to the
Father's house. All three show the happiness
Luke 16:20 — There was also a poor man. In the last stages of his life, this poor man has nothing to keep him alive,
but the charity he receives. Named Lazarus. This is the only time Jesus mentions a name in a parable. Lazarus means
God a help, and it is symbolic
Luke 18:6-8 — Listen to what the corrupt judge said. This is the application of the parable—the "punch line," Will God
not judge in favor of his own people? If a corrupt and dishonest judge would finally act because of the continual "nagging"
of this widow, Jesus