23 Bible Verses about Jesus Using Parables

He told them many things in parables, saying, “Listen carefully: a sower went out to sow [seed in his field];

And He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said to them,

Jesus began to speak to them [the chief priests, scribes and elders who were questioning Him] in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and put a wall around it, and dug a pit for the wine press and built a tower; and he rented it out to tenant farmers and left the country.

Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying,

So He called them to Himself and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan?

With many such parables, Jesus spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear and understand it;

All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables, and He said nothing to them without [using] a parable.

This is the reason I speak to the crowds in parables: because while [having the power of] seeing they do not see, and while [having the power of] hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand and grasp [spiritual things].

and He did not say anything to them without [using] a parable; He did, however, explain everything privately to His own disciples.

Then the disciples came to Him and asked, “Why do You speak to the crowds in parables?” Jesus replied to them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has [spiritual wisdom because he is receptive to God’s word], to him more will be given, and he will be richly and abundantly supplied; but whoever does not have [spiritual wisdom because he has devalued God’s word], even what he has will be taken away from him. read more.
This is the reason I speak to the crowds in parables: because while [having the power of] seeing they do not see, and while [having the power of] hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand and grasp [spiritual things].

He said to them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you [who have teachable hearts], but those who are outside [the unbelievers, the spiritually blind] get everything in parables,

And He said, “To you [who have been chosen] it has been granted to know and recognize the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that though seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.

“I have told you these things in figurative language (veiled language, proverbs); the hour is now coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.

Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what He was talking about.

When Jesus had finished these parables, He left there.

And He said, “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use to illustrate and explain it?

Peter asked Him, “Explain this parable [about what defiles a person] to us.”

As soon as He was alone, those who were around Him, together with the twelve [disciples], began asking Him about [the interpretation of] the parables.

Then He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand and grasp the meaning of all the parables?

Peter said, “Lord, are You addressing this parable to us [disciples], or to everyone else as well?”

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was talking about them.

And they were looking for a way to seize Him, but they were afraid of the crowd; for they knew that He spoke this parable in reference to [and as a charge against] them. And so they left Him and went away.

The scribes and the chief priests tried to [find a way to] arrest Him at that very hour, but they were afraid of the people; because they understood that He spoke this parable against them.