Jesus consistently taught using parables. “All these things he spoke to the crowds in parables and He did not speak to them without a parable” Matthew 13: 34. There are 33 parables of Jesus in the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke.) The Gospel of John contains “figures” but not parables. Here, God willing, and by His grace, you will find teachings covering all 33 parables, posted as they are preached at Pastor Dubler’s home church, Good Shepherd Bible Chapel in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. There are two major lessons which may be drawn from this parable: First and most importantly, self-justification of any kind is abhorrent to God. Salvation comes only through His grace by the Blood of Jesus Christ, the perfect sacrifice for sin. Second, a humble and contrite spirit is necessary for true and effective prayer. Pride is the enemy of prayer; pride and vanity and confidence in self will hobble the soul of man and make him, like the Pharisee in this parable, powerless in prayer.

Parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge. This parable teaches us two vital lessons on prayer: Pray always. Never give up. Whereas the companion parable on persistence in prayer, the Parable of the Friend at Midnight, teaches us that God is not reluctant to hear and grant answers to prayer, this parable focuses on dogged persistence in prayer. Luke 18:1-8. 

Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Concern for the needs of the poor is the central message of the parable, but woven into this teaching are three other very interesting lessons: First, when believers die, they are escorted by angels to heaven. This gives great hope to all who are close to crossing Jordan and to their families. Second, hell is very real and it is hot; certainly a place of great torment. Third, unbelievers who reject the Word of God do so even though Jesus rose from the dead with many convincing proofs. Nothing will persuade them once they have rejected God’s word. Only the Holy Spirit can perform the life-changing work of changing hearts. Luke 16:19-31.

Parable of the Unrighteous Manager: Use earthly wealth to make friends for the Kingdom of God. If worldly people know how to use wealth to benefit themselves, should not believers know how to use earthly riches to benefit the Kingdom of God? Luke 16: 1-9.

Parable of the Prodigal Son, Part Two: The celebration had barely begun when the resentments of the older brother became an issue. The one considered dead had come to life again; the lost one had been found. The father, consistent in his love for the younger and the older alike, is rejoicing and the servants are celebrating withal. But now comes the poison. The elder brother, a picture of how legalism works, comes with his disdain, his arguments and his contempt for the brother who repented. Luke 15:25-32.

Parable of the Prodigal Son, Part One. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is much the same as the Lost Sheep and Lost Coin insofar as the joy of the finder recovering what was lost, but adds an important dimension in revealing the bitterness of spirit concerning the elder brother. The elder brother, like the Pharisees, could not readily comprehend the meaning of forgiveness. The spiritual state of the prodigal brother rises during the parable while the spiritual state of the older brother falls. The father remains constant—he demonstrates love toward both and is consistent in demonstrating the love of God. He is a type of our heavenly Father. The younger son represents prodigals everywhere while the older brother represents all those who, through hardness of heart and meanness of spirit want to bring down judgment on all those who are trying to make straight their paths. Luke 15: 11-24.

Parable of the Lost Sheep, Parable of the Lost Coin. Jesus is concerned for the lost ones of this world, and were it not for His graciousness in seeking and saving us, we would be still lost in trespasses and sins, even at this hour. But thanks be to God, Jesus has a heart for the lost, even the very lone outcast. His concern burns just and brightly and intensely for the one as for the ninety and nine. The return of such lost ones to the Lord should be an occasion of great joy to all involved, lost sinner and faithful Lord, and all others who see the transformational miracle in progress. Luke 15:1-10.

Parable of the Dinner. Here is one of a pair of related parables that tell of the Father’s invitation to the salvation banquet—eternal life through Christ Jesus, our Lord. The companion parable is found in Matthew 22: 1-14, the Parable of the Wedding Feast. In the Parable of the Dinner, the head of the house (God Himself) has extended a gracious invitation to a lavish dinner, representing eternal life in the Kingdom of God. There is no cost to those invited; the host has borne the entire expense of the banquet. Those invited make various excuses, all of which are trivial in comparison with the invitation to the banquet of eternal life. Luke 14: 16-24.

Parable of the Invited Guests. The meaning of the parable in one sentence: “Before honor comes humility” (Proverbs 15:33b). Proverbs 29:23 warns us that “A man's pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor. “When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom,” as we further are warned in Proverbs 11:2. Here is a parable to warn anyone who is exalting himself. “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Luke 14:7-11.

Parable of the Barren Fig Tree. Any reasonable person, upon reading this parable, will conclude that God’s patience with men and nations is not without limit. There comes a time when judgment and consequences for rebellion and disobedience are meted out. Luke 13: 6-9.

Parable of the Alert Slaves. Here is one of three parables which address the necessity of being watchful and alert for the Lord’s return: The Parable of Ten Virgins, The Parable of the Fig Tree and this one, The Alert Slaves. The fundamental lesson of the parable is this: we cannot know the exact time the Lord will return. Secondarily we learn that we must be ready and engaged in serving while we wait. And finally, a tertiary, but very important lesson from the parable is this: any leader who misuses his trust as a leader and takes advantage of the flock of our Great Shepherd will be severely dealt with. Luke 12: 35-48.

Parable of The Rich Fool. The topic of money and wealth are prominent in Luke’s Gospel. In this instance, we see Jesus turning the occasion of a question about money into an opportunity to teach about the futility of amassing great wealth if one is not also rich toward God. He also addresses the underlying problem of covetousness when the man asks Jesus to serve as arbiter in his dispute with his brother over the family inheritance. Luke 12: 13-21.

Parable of the Friend at Midnight. If persistence in prayer can obtain three loaves of bread from a reluctant neighbor at midnight, then certainly our earnest prayers will receive our Father’s complete attention and His answer at the perfect moment. The parable reveals God’s character of a loving Father who hears and answers, and our need of persistence in prayer. Luke 11: 1-13.

Parable of the Good Samaritan. The parable, found only in the Gospel of Luke, is perhaps the best known of Jesus’ parables. Its characters and its message have worked their way deep into the American collective conscience.  The phrase "Good Samaritan" is used to describe any person who goes out of his way to help another. Luke 10:25-37.

Parable of the Lamp. Our lives are like lighted lamps, not to be hidden away but shining forth in the midst of a dark world. All the mysteries of the Kingdom, though they might seem hidden now, will be revealed in due time. In the meantime, we should be careful about what teachings we receive. Those who have been well instructed in the ways of the Lord can receive even more good things from Him. But those who are careless about the Word of God stand to lose what little they have. Luke 8: 16-18.

Parable of New Wine in Old Wineskins. Jesus’ teaches that the new covenant will radically break wit the traditions of man, but not the law of God. The man-made rituals of Pharisaic Judaism cannot be expected to comprehend or contain the Good News of the Gospel message. Luke 5:36-39.

Parable of the Seed. The mysterious and supernatural power of the seed itself to produce a crop is emphasized in this parable. As in others of Jesus’ “Kingdom Parables,” such as the Mustard Seed and the Leaven, the Parable of the Seed reveals how the kingdom grows. The farmer plants the seed in suitable ground, but he cannot make it grow. Indeed, he does not even really understand how it grows. But despite our lack of understanding of how spiritual (as well as natural) seeds sprout, grow and bear fruit, the fact remains that the seed of the Gospel message does produce fruit, often without much involvement on our part once the seed is deposited in the soil. Mark 4: 26-29.

Parable of the Talents. This parable that goes well beyond the three parables which concern themselves with preparation and watchfulness. The Parable of the Talents tells us that we are to be productive in the master’s absence, even improving the state of his possessions (his kingdom) during that time. Matthew 25: 14-30.

Parable of Ten Virgins. Like the Parable from the Fig Tree, this parable instructs us to be watchful and on the alert for Jesus’ coming. However unlike the Fig Tree, the Parable of the Ten Virgins teaches us to be prepared for the possibility of a long delay in the return of the bridegroom. Both parables tell us that we will not know in advance the day nor the hour of His return. Matthew 25: 1-13.

Parable from the Fig Tree. The end times are coming. The signs Jesus mentioned in the Olivet Discourse are certain to take place. Jesus will return to earth for His bride. Attitudes of people on earth will be similar to those during the days of Noah. Meanwhile, we will not be able to set dates or anticipate the day of His coming. Matthew 24: 32-42.

Parable of the Wedding Feast for the King’s Son. Our King has extended a gracious invitation to the wedding feast for His Son, our Lord Jesus. Learn about the four different ways in which people respond to God’s invitation in 4 different ways. Matthew 22: 1-14.

Parable of the Landowner. (or the Wicked Tenants). The parable is a warning about rejecting the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Himself. It is chiefly addressed to the religious leaders of the day, although we may be certain that it is also addressed to anyone who rejects the Lord today. Matthew 21: 33-46.

Parable of Two Sons. The central message of the Parable of Two Sons may be summarized in a little phrase which I once found written on the back of an envelope I received, “Only what you do, do you believe.” Talk is cheap. In the end, actions matter more than words and are the only reliable standard for obedience. Saying “I will obey You, Lord,” and actually acting in obedience are two different things. Matthew 21: 28-32.

Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard. A fundamental lesson is imparted to us by our Lord in this fascinating parable, found only in Matthew and in none of the other gospel accounts. Entry into the kingdom of heaven is based on God’s grace and not our merit.  Salvation is the free gift of God and it is up to Him to give it to whomever He pleases in whatever manner or conditions He pleases and at whatever time He pleases. It is not up to us to question His methods or motives, but to respond to His gracious invitation to come work in His vineyards and fields. Matthew 20:1-16.

Parable of the Unmerciful Slave. Here is a parable about unlimited personal forgiveness. Indeed, if we will not forgive as the Lord commands us, we prove ourselves incapable of receiving forgiveness from the Lord. In this parable we discover that all of us have been forgiven much more than we will ever forgive. In addition, there is a powerful lesson about what it means to be “handed over to the torturers.” The parable appears only in Matthew 18:21-35.

Parable of the Dragnet. Unique to the Gospel of Matthew, this parable reveals that a day of judgment is coming when God will separate the good from the evil. The evil will be judged, found guilty and after separation from the good, thrown into the fiery furnace. Matthew 13:47-52.

Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Value. Parables about the superlative worth of the kingdom of Heaven. The treasure is worth every sacrifice necessary to secure it, and once secured it is worth every effort to maintain it. Matthew 13: 44-46 [Mark 4: 30-32; Luke 13: 19-21].

Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven. Amazing growth from a small beginning and extensive transformation once the Kingdom of Heaven is within us. Matthew 13:31-35 [Mark 4:30-32; Luke 13:18].

Parable of the wheat and tares. Jesus unlocks for us the mystery of evil in the world and what we should do about it. Matthew 13: 24-30; 36-43.

Parable of the sower and the 4 soils. Seed sown beside the road, the rocky places, the thorns and the good soil. Matthew 13: 1-23 [Mark 4:1-20; Luke 8: 4-15.

Parable of two builders, or two foundations: House built on rock; house built on sand. Matthew 7: 24-29; Luke 6:47-49.