Parables

1. The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one
said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So, he divided his
property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a
distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had
spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he
began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that
country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach
with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired
servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and
go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and
against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of
your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with
compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed
him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I
am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on
him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf
and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and
is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So, they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he
heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what
was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed
the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So, his father went out
and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve
been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me
even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of
yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you
kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is
yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was
dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

2. The Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-20)
4 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him
was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the
people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things
by parables, and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his
seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds
came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.
It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up,
the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other
seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did
not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced
a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”
9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about
the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given

3. to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that, they
may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never
understanding; otherwise, they might turn and be forgiven!”
13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will
you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are
like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it,
Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like
seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But
since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution
comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown
among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of
wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it
unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and
produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was
sown.”
The Parables of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32)
31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard
seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of
all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a
tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
The Parable of the Lost Coin (Luke 15:8-10)
8 “Or what woman, having ten silver [a]coins, if she loses one coin, does not
light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And
when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying,

4. ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ 10 Likewise, I say to
you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who
repents.”
The Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13)
25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their
lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and
five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with
them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The
bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell
asleep.
6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said
to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go
to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The
virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door
was shut.
11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.