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Parables of Jesus
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The parables of Jesus
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| Events in the |
| Life of Jesus according to the Gospels |
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Portals:  Christianity  Bible |
The parables of Jesus can be found in all the canonical gospels, and in some of the non-canonical gospels, but are located mainly within the three synoptic gospels. They represent a key part of theteachings of Jesus, forming approximately one third of his recorded teachings. Christians place high emphasis on these parables; since they are the words of Jesus, they are believed to be what the Father has taught, indicated by John 8:28 and 14:10.[1][2]
Jesus' parables are seemingly simple and memorable stories, often with imagery, and all convey messages. Scholars have commented that although these parables seem simple, the messages they convey are deep, and central to the teachings of Jesus. Christian authors view them not as mere similitudes which serve the purpose of illustration, but as internal analogies where nature becomes a witness for the spiritual world.[3][4]
Many of Jesus' parables refer to simple everyday things, such as a woman baking bread (parable of the Leaven), a man knocking on his neighbor's door at night (parable of the Friend at Night), or the aftermath of a roadside mugging (parable of the Good Samaritan); yet they deal with major religious themes, such as the growth of the Kingdom of God, the importance of prayer, and the meaning oflove.
In Western civilization, these parables formed the prototype for the term parable and in the modern age, even among those who know little of the Bible, the parables of Jesus remain some of the best known stories in the world.[5]
Roots and sources[edit]
As a translation of the Hebrew word מָשָׁל mashal the word parable can also refer to a riddle. In all times in their history the Jews were familiar with teaching by means of parables and a number of parables also exist in the Old Testament. The use of parables by Jesus was hence a natural teaching method that fit into the tradition of his time.[5][6] The parables of Jesus have been quoted, taught, and discussed since the very beginnings of Christianity.
Canonical gospels[edit]
Main article: Canonical gospels
The three synoptic gospels contain the parables of Jesus. The Gospel of John contains only the stories of the Vine and Good Shepherd, which some consider to be parables.[7] Otherwise, it includes allegories but no parables. Several authors such as Barbara Reid, Arland Hultgren or Donald Griggs comment that "parables are noticeably absent from the Gospel of John".[8][9][10][11]
The Catholic Encyclopedia states: "There are no parables in St. John's Gospel. In the Synoptics ... we reckon thirty-three in all; but some have raised the number even to sixty, by including proverbial expressions."[12] The Gospel of Luke contains both the largest total number of parables (24) and eighteen unique parables; the Gospel of Matthew contains 23 parables of which eleven are unique; and the Gospel of Mark contains eight parables of which two are unique.
In Harmony of the Gospels, Cox and Easley provide a Gospel harmony for the parables based on the following counts: Only in Matthew: 11, only in Mark: 2, only in Luke: 18, Matthew and Luke: 4, Matthew, Mark and Luke: 6. They list no parables for the Gospel of John.[13]
Other documents[edit]
Parables attributed to Jesus are also found in other documents apart from the Bible. Some of these overlap those in the canonical gospels and some are not part of the Bible. The non-canonical Gospel of Thomas contains up to fifteen parables, eleven of which have parallels in the four canonical Gospels. The unknown author of the Gospel of Thomas did not have a special word for "parable," making it difficult to know what he considered a parable.[14]Those unique to Thomas include the Parable of the Assassin and the Parable of the Empty Jar.
The noncanonical Apocryphon of James also contains three unique parables attributed to Jesus.[15] They are known as "The Parable of the Ear of Grain", "The Parable of the Grain of Wheat", and "The Parable of the Date-Palm Shoot".[16]
The hypothetical Q document is seen as a source for some of the parables in Matthew, Luke, and Thomas.[17]
Purpose and motive[edit]
In the Gospel of Matthew (13:10–17) Jesus provides an answer when asked about his use of parables:[18]
While Mark 4:33–34 and Matthew 13:34–35 may suggest that Jesus would only speak to the "crowds" in parables, while in private explaining everything to his disciples, modern scholars do not support the private explanations argument and surmise that Jesus used parables as a teaching method.[19] Dwight Pentecost suggests that given that Jesus often preached to a mixed audience of believers and non-believers, he used parables to reveal the truth to some, but hide it from others.[1]
Christian author Ashton Axenden suggests that Jesus constructed his parables based on his divine knowledge of how man can be taught:[20]
In the 19th century, Lisco and Fairbairn stated that in the parables of Jesus, "the image borrowed from the visible world is accompanied by a truth from the invisible (spiritual) world" and that the parables of Jesus are not "mere similitudes which serve the purpose of illustration, but are internal analogies where nature becomes a witness for the spiritual world".[3]
Similarly, in the 20th century, calling a parable "an earthly story with a heavenly meaning",[21] William Barclay states that the parables of Jesus use familiar examples to lead men's minds towards heavenly concepts. He suggests that Jesus did not form his parables merely as analogies but based on an "inward affinity between the natural and the spiritual order."[21]
Themes[edit]
A number of parables which are adjacent in one or more gospels have similar themes. The parable of the Leaven follows the parable of the Mustard Seed in Matthew and Luke, and shares the theme of the Kingdom of Heaven growing from small beginnings.[22] The parable of the Hidden Treasure andparable of the Pearl form a pair illustrating the great value of the Kingdom of Heaven, and the need for action in attaining it.[23]
The parables of the Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, and Lost (Prodigal) Son form a trio in Luke dealing with loss and redemption.[24]
The parable of the Faithful Servant and parable of the Ten Virgins, adjacent in Matthew, involve waiting for a bridegroom, and have an eschatologicaltheme: be prepared for the day of reckoning.[25] The parable of the Tares[26] the parable of the Rich Fool,[27] the parable of the budding fig tree,[28] and the parable of the barren fig tree[29] also have eschatological themes.
Other parables stand alone, such as the parable of the unforgiving servant, dealing with forgiveness;[30] the parable of the Good Samaritan, dealing with practical love;[31] and the parable of the Friend at Night, dealing with persistence in prayer.[32]
Parables of the Kingdom of Heaven: hearing, seeking and growing[edit]
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| Sower | Hidden Treasure | Pearl | Growing Seed | Mustard Seed | Leaven |
Parables of loss and redemption[edit]
 |  |  |
| Lost Sheep | Lost Coin | Prodigal (Lost) Son |
Parables about love and forgiveness[edit]
 |  |  |
| Good Samaritan | Two Debtors | Unforgiving Servant |
Parables about prayer[edit]
 |  |  |
| Friend at Night | Unjust Judge | Pharisee & Publican |
Eschatological parables[edit]
 |  |  |  |  |  |
| Faithful Servant | Ten Virgins | Great Banquet | Rich Fool | Wicked Husbandmen | Tares |
 |  |  | |||
| The Net | Budding Fig Tree | Barren Fig Tree |
Other parables[edit]
 |  |  |  |  |  |
| Wise & Foolish Builders | Lamp under a Bushel | Unjust Steward | Rich Man and Lazarus | Talents (Minas) | Workers in the Vineyard |