The Parable of the Gracious Landowner. Please read Matthew 20:1-16. THE CONTEXT. Jesus is here addressing questions about the character of God and the nature of salvation, about the last being first and the first being last. The parable is an illustration of what that idea looks like in the kingdom of God. Jesus is …

The Parable of the Rich Fool. Please read Luke 12:13-21. THE CONTEXT. a. There was a crowd of people surrounding Jesus, and a man in the crowd tried to recruit Jesus to issue a ruling in an inheritance squabble. This man demands that Jesus be the judge that carries out his wishes. Rather gruffly, Jesus …

The parable of the Barren Tree. Please read Luke 13:6-9. THE CONTEXT. a. The early parts of this chapter in Luke refer to Jesus’ call for national repentance. This parable, more allegorical than most of his parables, continues that theme of repentance, only the story is directed toward the Jewish leadership, the pious ones, especially in the Temple. …

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant. Please read Matthew 18, especially v. 21-35. CONTEXT a. Matthew 18 is apparently one long private conversation between Jesus and his disciples, and the gospel values here are certainly at odds with the ways of the world. This chapter is concerned with a fascinating variety of topics about Kingdom life and community, including: …

The Parable of the Seed Growing Secretly. “The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes …

The Parable of the Yeast. “What else is the Kingdom of God Like? It is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.” (Luke 13:20-21; also Matthew 13:33). CONTEXT (a.) Luke’s chapter 13 has a little …

The Parable of the Fishing Net. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind. When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away. That …

The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats. Please read Matthew 25:31-46. The Parable: a. Is this a parable, or is it a word of prophecy, an eye-opening description of a future judgment? Is this a parable or a slice of future history? The reference to the shepherd and the sheep and the goats gives it …

The Parable of the Sower, the Seeds and the Soil. “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across the field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil …

The Parable of the Lost Sheep. “Many dishonest tax collectors and other notorious sinners often gathered around to listen as Jesus taught the people. This raised concerns with the Jewish religious leaders and experts of the law. Indignant, they grumbled and complained, saying, ‘Look at how this man associates with all these notorious sinners, eats …

The Parable of the Lost Coin. “Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Jesus to hear Him teach. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ So Jesus spoke these parables to them…” (Luke 15:1-2). CONTEXT. In response to the Pharisees’ grumbling and muttering about …

The Parable of the New Wine. “No one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wineskins. But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is fine,’ …