44 Bible Verses about Parables

The disciples questioned him about the meaning of the parable; so he said, "It is granted you to understand the open secrets of the Reign of God, but the others get it in parables, so that for all their seeing they may not see, and for all their hearing they may not understand.

Then the disciples came up and said to him, "Why do you speak in parables?" He replied, "Because it is granted you to understand the open secrets of the Realm of heaven, but it is not granted to these people. For he who has, to him shall more be given and richly given, but whoever has not, from him shall be taken even what he has. read more.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because for all their seeing they do not see and for all their hearing they do not hear or understand. In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled: You will hear and hear but never understand, you will see and see but never perceive. For the heart of this people is obtuse, their ears are heavy of hearing, their eyes they have closed, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they understand with their heart and turn again, and I cure them. But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears, for they hear! I tell you truly, many prophets and good men have longed to see what you see, but they have not seen it; and to hear what you hear, but they have not heard it.

When he was by himself his adherents and the twelve asked him about the parable, and he said to them: "The open secret of the Realm of God is granted to you, but these outsiders get everything by way of parables, so that for all their seeing they may not perceive, and for all their hearing they may not understand, lest they turn and be forgiven."

Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches: 'The conqueror I will allow to eat from the tree of Life which is within the paradise of God.'

"I tell you truly," said Jesus, "you will be in paradise with me this very day."

this man was caught up to paradise and heard sacred secrets which no human lips can repeat.

Jesus said all this to the crowds in parables; he never spoke to them except in a parable ??35 to fulfil what had been said by the prophet, I will open my mouth in parables, I will speak out what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.

In many a parable like this he spoke the word to them, so far as they could listen to it; he never spoke to them except by way of parable, but in private he explained everything to his own disciples.

He put another parable before them. "The Realm of heaven," he said, "is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while men slept his enemy came and resowed weeds among the wheat and then went away. When the blade sprouted and formed the kernel, then the weeds appeared as well. read more.
So the servants of the owner went to him and said, 'Did you not sow good seed in your field, sir? How then does it contain weeds?' He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Then would you like us to go and gather them?' 'No,' he said, 'for you might root up the wheat when you were gathering the weeds. Let them both grow side by side till harvest; and at harvest-time I will tell the reapers to gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to be burnt, but to collect the wheat in my granary.'"

Then he left the crowds and went indoors. And his disciples came up to him saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." So he replied, "He who sows the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed means the sons of the Realm; the weeds are the sons of the evil one; read more.
the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are angels. Well then, just as the weeds are gathered and burnt in the fire, so will it be at the end of the world; the Son of man will despatch his angels, and they will gather out of his Realm all who are hindrances and who practise iniquity, and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will wail and gnash their teeth. Then the just will shine like the sun in the Realm of their Father. He who has an ear, let him listen to this.

"A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the road and was trampled down, and the wild birds ate it up; some other seed dropped on the rock, but it withered away when it sprang up because it had no moisture; some other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up along with it and choked it; read more.
some other seed fell on sound soil, and springing up bore a crop, a hundredfold." When he said this he called out, "He who has an ear, let him listen to this." The disciples questioned him about the meaning of the parable; so he said, "It is granted you to understand the open secrets of the Reign of God, but the others get it in parables, so that for all their seeing they may not see, and for all their hearing they may not understand. This is what the parable means. The seed is the word of God. Those 'on the road' are people who hear; but then the devil comes and carries off the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved. Those 'on the rock' are people who on hearing the word welcome it with enthusiasm, but they have no root; they believe for a while and fall away in the hour of trial. As for the seed that fell among thorns, that means people who hear but who go and get choked with worries and money and the pleasures of life, so that they never ripen. As for the seed in the good soil, that means those who hear and hold fast the word in a good and sound heart and so bear fruit stedfastly.

He spoke at some length to them in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow, and as he sowed some seeds fell on the road and the birds came and ate them up. Some other seeds fell on stony soil where they had not much earth, and shot up at once because they had no depth of soil; read more.
but when the sun rose they got scorched and withered away because they had no root. Some other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. Some other seeds fell on good soil and bore a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirtyfold. He who has an ear, let him listen to this." Then the disciples came up and said to him, "Why do you speak in parables?" He replied, "Because it is granted you to understand the open secrets of the Realm of heaven, but it is not granted to these people. For he who has, to him shall more be given and richly given, but whoever has not, from him shall be taken even what he has. This is why I speak to them in parables, because for all their seeing they do not see and for all their hearing they do not hear or understand. In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled: You will hear and hear but never understand, you will see and see but never perceive. For the heart of this people is obtuse, their ears are heavy of hearing, their eyes they have closed, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they understand with their heart and turn again, and I cure them. But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears, for they hear! I tell you truly, many prophets and good men have longed to see what you see, but they have not seen it; and to hear what you hear, but they have not heard it. Now, listen to the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the Realm and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart; that is the man who is sown 'on the road.' As for him who is sown 'on stony soil,' that is the man who hears the word and accepts it at once with enthusiasm; he has no root in himself, he does not last, but when the word brings trouble or persecution he is at once repelled. As for him who is sown 'among thorns,' that is the man who listens to the word, but the worry of the world and the delight of being rich choke the word; so it proves unfruitful. As for him who is sown 'on good soil,' that is the man who hears the word and understands it; he bears fruit, producing now a hundredfold, now sixty, and now thirtyfold."

So with everyone of you who will not part with all his goods he cannot be a disciple of mine.

For which of you wants to build a tower and does not first sit down to calculate the expense, to see if he has enough money to complete it? ??29 in case, after he has laid the foundation and then is unable to finish the building, all the spectators start to make fun of him, saying, 'This fellow started to build but he could not finish it.'

No one lights a lamp to put it in a cellar or under a bowl, but on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. Your eye is the lamp of the body: when your eye is sound, then the whole of your body has light, but if your eye is diseased, then your body is darkened. (Look! perhaps your very light is dark.) read more.
So if your whole body has light, without any corner of it in darkness, it will be lit up entirely, as when a lamp lights you with its rays."

He also said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be placed under a bowl or a bed? Is it not to be placed upon the stand?

When the strong man in armour guards his homestead, his property is undisturbed;

No one can enter the strong man's house and plunder his goods unless first of all he binds the strong man; then he can plunder his house.

Now where is the trusty and thoughtful servant, whom his lord and master has set over his household to assign them their supplies at the proper time? Blessed is that servant if his lord and master finds him so doing when he arrives! I tell you truly, he will set him over all his property. read more.
But if the bad servant says to himself, 'My lord and master is long of coming,' and if he starts to beat his fellow-servants and to eat and drink with drunkards, that servant's lord and master will arrive on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know; he will cut him in two and assign him the fate of the impious. There men will wail and gnash their teeth.

Again, the Realm of heaven is like a net which was thrown into the sea and collected fish of every sort. When it was full, they dragged it to the beach and sitting down they gathered the good fish into vessels but flung away the bad. So will it be at the end of the world. The angels will go out and separate the evil from among the just read more.
and fling them into the furnace of fire; there men will wail and gnash their teeth.

Again, the Realm of heaven is like a trader in search of fine pearls; when he finds a single pearl of high price, he is off to sell all he possesses and buy it.

Then he called the crowd and said to them, "Listen, understand this: it is not what enters a man's mouth that defiles him, what defiles a man is what comes out of his mouth." Then the disciples came up and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees have taken offence at what they hear you say?" read more.
He replied, "Any plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind, and if one blind man leads another, both of them will fall into a pit." Peter answered, "Explain this parable to us at anyrate."

That is why the Realm of heaven may be compared to a king who resolved to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the settlement, a debtor was brought in who owed him three million pounds; as he was unable to pay, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all he had, in payment of the sum. read more.
So the servant fell down and prayed him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you it all.' And out of pity for that servant his master released him and discharged his debt. But as that servant went away, he met one of his fellow-servants who owed him twenty pounds, and seizing him by the throat he said, 'Pay your debt!' So his fellow-servant fell down and implored him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' But he refused; he went and had him thrown into prison, till he should pay the debt. Now when his fellow-servants saw what had happened they were greatly distressed, and they went and explained to their master all that had happened. Then his master summoned him and said, 'You scoundrel of a servant! I discharged all that debt for you, because you implored me. Ought you not to have had mercy on your fellow-servant, as I had on you?' And in hot anger his master handed him over to the torturers, till he should pay him all the debt. My heavenly Father will do the same to you unless you each forgive your brother from the heart."

Listen to another parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, put a fence round it, dug a wine-vat inside it, and built a watchtower: then he leased it to vinedressers and went abroad. When the fruit-season was near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers to collect his fruit; but the vinedressers took his servants and flogged one, killed another, and stoned a third. read more.
Once more he sent some other servants, more than he had sent at first, and they did the same to them. Afterwards he sent them his son; 'They will respect my son,' he said. But when the vinedressers saw his son they said to themselves, 'Here is the heir; come on, let us kill him and seize his inheritance!' So they took and threw him outside the vineyard and killed him. Now, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to these vinedressers?" They replied, "He will utterly destroy the wretches and lease the vineyard to other vinedressers who will give him the fruits in their season." Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures, The stone that the builders rejected is the chief stone now of the corner: this is the doing of the Lord, and a wonder to our eyes? I tell you therefore that the Realm of God will be taken from you and given to a nation that bears the fruits of the Realm. [Everyone who falls on this stone will be shattered, and whoever it falls upon will be crushed.]" When the high priests and Pharisees heard these parables they knew he was speaking about them;

Let the fig tree teach you a parable. As soon as its branches turn soft and put out leaves, you know summer is at hand; so, whenever you see all this happen, you may be sure He is at hand, at the very door. I tell you truly, the present generation will not pass away till all this happens.

He put another parable before them. "The Realm of heaven," he said, "is like a grain of mustard-seed which a man takes and sows in his field. It is less than any seed on earth, but when it grows up it is larger than any plant, it becomes a tree, so large that the wild birds come and roost in its branches."

Tell me what you think. A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard to-day'; he replied, 'I will go, sir,' but he did not go. The man went to the second and said the same to him; he replied, 'I will not,' but afterwards he changed his mind and did go. read more.
Which of the two did the will of the father?" They said, "The last." Jesus said to them, "I tell you truly, the taxgatherers and harlots are going into the Realm of God before you. For John showed you the way to be good and you would not believe him; the taxgatherers and harlots believed him, and even though you saw that, you would not change your mind afterwards and believe him.

For the case is that of a man going abroad, who summoned his servants and handed over his property to them; to one he gave twelve hundred pounds, to another five hundred, and to another two hundred and fifty; each got according to his capacity. Then the man went abroad. The servant who had got the twelve hundred pounds went at once and traded with them, making another twelve hundred. read more.
Similarly the servant who had got the five hundred pounds made another five hundred. But the servant who had got the two hundred and fifty pounds went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. Now a long time afterwards the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. Then the servant who had got the twelve hundred pounds came forward, bringing twelve hundred more; he said, 'You handed me twelve hundred pounds, sir; here I have gained another twelve hundred.' His master said to him, 'Capital, you excellent and trusty servant! You have been trusty in charge of a small sum: I will put you in charge of a large sum. Come and share your master's feast.' Then the servant with the five hundred pounds came forward. He said, 'You handed me five hundred pounds, sir; here I have gained another five hundred.' His master said to him, 'Capital, you excellent and trusty servant! You have been trusty in charge of a small sum: I will put you in charge of a large sum. Come and share your master's feast.' Then the servant who had got the two hundred and fifty pounds came forward. He said, 'I knew you were a hard man, sir, reaping where you never sowed and gathering where you never winnowed. So I was afraid; I went and hid your two hundred and fifty pounds in the earth. There's your money!' His master said to him in reply, 'You rascal, you idle servant! You knew, did you, that I reap where I have never sowed and gather where I have never winnowed! Well then, you should have handed my money to the bankers and I would have got my capital with interest when I came back. Take therefore the two hundred and fifty pounds away from him, give it to the servant who had the twelve hundred. For to everyone who has shall more be given and richly given; but from him who has nothing, even what he has shall be taken. Throw the good-for-nothing servant into the darkness outside; there men will wail and gnash their teeth.

"The Realm of heaven," he said, "may be compared to a king who gave a marriage-banquet in honour of his son. He sent his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they would not come. Once more he sent some other servants, saying, 'Tell the invited guests, here is my supper all prepared, my oxen and fat cattle are killed, everything is ready; come to the marriage-banquet.' read more.
But they paid no attention and went off, one to his estate, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants and ill-treated them and killed them. The king was enraged; he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned up their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The marriage-banquet is all ready, but the invited guests did not deserve it. So go to the byeways and invite anyone you meet to the marriage-banquet.' And those servants went out on the roads and gathered all they met, bad and good alike. Thus the marriage-banquet was supplied with guests. Now when the king came in to view his guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in a wedding-robe. So he said to him, 'My man, how did you get in here without a wedding-robe?' The man was speech less. Then said the king to his servants, 'Take him hand and foot, and throw him outside, out into the darkness; there men will wail and gnash their teeth. For many are invited but few are chosen.'"

For the Realm of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard; and after agreeing with the labourers to pay them a shilling a day he sent them into his vineyard. Then, on going out at nine o'clock he noticed some other labourers standing in the marketplace doing nothing; read more.
to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and I will give you whatever wage is fair.' So they went in. Going out again at twelve o'clock and at three o'clock, he did the same thing. And when he went out at five o'clock he came upon some others who were standing; he said to them, 'Why have you stood doing nothing all the day?' 'Because nobody hired us,' they said. He told them, 'You go into the vineyard too.' Now when evening came the master of the vineyard said to his bailiff, 'Summon the labourers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last and going on to the first.' When those who had been hired about five o'clock came, they got a shilling each. So when the first labourers came up, they supposed they would get more; but they too got each their shilling. And on getting it they grumbled at the householder. 'These last,' they said, 'have only worked a single hour, and yet you have ranked them equal to us who have borne the brunt of the day's work and the heat!' Then he replied to one of them, 'My man, I am not wronging you. Did you not agree with me for a shilling? Take what belongs to you and be off. I choose to give this last man the same as you. Can I not do as I please with what belongs to me? Have you a grudge because I am generous?' So shall the last be first and the first last."

Now, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts upon them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. The rain came down, the floods rose, the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, for it was founded on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act upon them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. read more.
The rain came down, the floods rose, the winds blew and beat upon that house, and down it fell ??with a mighty crash."

Then shall the Realm of heaven be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom and the bride. Five of them were stupid and five were sensible. For although the stupid took their lamps, they took no oil with them, read more.
whereas the sensible took oil in their vessels as well as their lamps. As the bridegroom was long of coming, they all grew drowsy and went to sleep. But at midnight the cry arose, 'Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' Then all the maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. The stupid said to the sensible, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the sensible replied, 'No, there may not be enough for us and for you. Better go to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' Now while they were away buying oil, the bridegroom arrived; those maidens who were ready accompanied him to the marriage-banquet, and the door was shut. Afterwards the rest of the maidens came and said, 'Oh sir, oh sir, open the door for us!' but he replied, 'I tell you frankly, I do not know you.' Keep on the watch then, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

But be sure of this, that if the householder had known at what watch in the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the watch, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

The Realm of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field; the man who finds it hides it and in his delight goes and sells all he possesses and buys that field.

There was a rich man, clad in purple and fine linen, who lived sumptuously every day. Outside his door lay a poor man called Lazarus; he was a mass of ulcers, and fain to eat up the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. (The very dogs used to come and lick his ulcers.) read more.
Now it happened that the poor man died, and he was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man died too, and was buried. And as he was being tortured in Hades he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus in his bosom; so he called out, 'Father Abraham, take pity on me, send Lazarus to dip his fingertip in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in these flames.' But Abraham said, 'Remember, my son, you got all the bliss when you were alive, just as Lazarus got the ills of life; he is in comfort now, and you are in anguish. Besides all that, a great gulf yawns between us and you, to keep back those who want to cross from us to you and also those who want to pass from you to us.' Then he said, 'Well, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers; let him bear testimony to them, that they may not come to this place of torture as well.' 'They have got Moses and the prophets,' said Abraham, 'they can listen to them.' 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone only goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced, not even if one rose from the dead."

Or what king sets out to fight against another king without first sitting down to deliberate whether with ten thousand men he can encounter the king who is attacking him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, when the other is still at a distance he will send an embassy to do homage to him. So with everyone of you who will not part with all his goods he cannot be a disciple of mine.

Jesus rejoined, "A man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho fell among robbers who stripped and belaboured him and then went off leaving him half-dead. Now it so chanced that a priest was going down the same road, but on seeing him he went past on the opposite side. So did a Levite who came to the spot; he looked at him but passed on the opposite side. read more.
However a Samaritan traveller came to where he was and felt pity when he saw him; he went to him, bound his wounds up, pouring oil and wine into them, mounted him on his own steed, took him to an inn, and attended to him. Next morning he took out a couple of shillings and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Attend to him, and if you are put to any extra expense I will refund you on my way back.' Which of these three men, in your opinion, proved a neighbour to the man who fell among the robbers?" He said, "The man who took pity on him." Jesus said to him, "Then go and do the same."

And to the crowds he said, "When you see a cloud rise in the west, you say, 'There is a shower coming,' and so it is: when you feel the south wind blow, you say, 'There will be heat,' and so it is. You hypocrites, you know how to decipher the look of earth and sky; how is it you cannot decipher the meaning of this era? read more.
And why do you not yourselves settle what is right?

Salt is excellent indeed: but if salt becomes insipid, what will restore its flavour? It is no use for either soil or dunghill, it is flung out. He who has an ear let him listen to this."

And he told them a parable. "A rich man's estate bore heavy crops. So he debated, 'What am I to do? I have no room to store my crops.' And he said, 'This is what I will do. I will pull down my granaries and build larger ones, where I can store all my produce and my goods. read more.
And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have ample stores laid up for many a year; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."' But God said to him, 'Foolish man, this very night your soul is wanted; and who will get all you have prepared?' So fares the man who lays up treasure for himself instead of gaining the riches of God."

"A nobleman," he said, "went abroad to obtain royal power for himself and then return. He first called his ten servants, giving them each a five-pound note, and telling them, 'Trade with this till I come back.' Now his people hated him and sent envoys after him to say, 'We object to him having royal power over us.' read more.
However he secured the royal power and came home. Then he ordered the servants to be called who had been given the money, that he might find out what business they had done. The first came up saying, 'Your five pounds has made other fifty, sir.' 'Capital,' he said, 'you excellent servant! because you have proved trustworthy in a trifle, you are placed over ten towns.' Then the second came and said, 'Your five pounds has made twenty-five, sir.' To him he said, 'And you are set over five towns.' Then the next came and said, 'Here is your five pounds, sir; I kept it safe in a napkin, for I was afraid of you, you are such a hard man ??picking up what you never put down, and reaping what you never sowed.' He replied, 'You rascal of a servant, I will convict you by what you have said yourself. You knew, did you, that I was a hard man, picking up what I never put down, and reaping what I never sowed! Why then did you not put my money into the bank, so that I could have got it with interest when I came back?' Then he said to the bystanders, 'Take the five pounds from him and give it to the man with fifty.' 'Sir,' they said, 'he has fifty already!' 'I tell you, to everyone who has shall more be given, but from him who has nothing, even what he has shall be taken. And now for these enemies of mine who objected to me reigning over them ??bring them here and slay them in my presence.' "

It is like a man leaving his house to go abroad; he puts his servants in charge, each with his work to do, and he orders the porter to keep watch. Watch then, for you never know when the Lord of the House will come, in the late evening or at midnight or at cock-crow or in the morning. Watch, in case he comes suddenly and finds you asleep. read more.
Watch: I say it to you, and I say it to all."

When an unclean spirit leaves a man, it roams through dry places in search of refreshment and finds none.

He also said: "There was a man who had two sons, and the younger said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that falls to me.' So he divided his means among them. Not many days later, the younger son sold off everything and went abroad to a distant land, where he squandered his means in loose living. read more.
After he had spent his all, a severe famine set in throughout that land, and he began to feel in want; so he went and attached himself to a citizen of that land, who sent him to his fields to feed swine. And he was fain to fill his belly with the pods the swine were eating; no one gave him anything. But when he came to his senses he said, 'How many hired men of my father have more than enough to eat, and here am I perishing of hunger! I will be up and off to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I don't deserve to be called your son any more; only make me like one of your hired men."' So he got up and went off to his father. But when he was still far away his father saw him and felt pity for him and ran to fall upon his neck and kiss him. The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I don't deserve to be called your son any more.' But the father said to his servants, 'Quick, bring the best robe and put it on him, give him a ring for his hand and sandals for his feet, and bring the fatted calf, kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for my son here was dead and he has come to life, he was lost and he is found.' So they began to make merry. Now his elder son was out in the field, and as he came near the house he heard music and dancing; so, summoning one of the servants, he asked what this meant. The servant told him, 'Your brother has arrived, and your father has killed the fatted calf because he has got him back safe and sound.' This angered him, and he would not go in. His father came out and tried to appease him, but he replied, 'Look at all the years I have been serving you! I have never neglected any of your orders, and yet you have never given me so much as a kid, to let me make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours arrives, after having wasted your means with harlots, you kill the fatted calf for him!' The father said to him, 'My son, you and I are always together, all I have is yours. We could not but make merry and rejoice, for your brother here was dead and has come to life again, he was lost but he has been found.' "

He told them another parable. "The Realm of heaven," he said, "is like dough which a woman took and buried in three pecks of flour, till all of it was leavened."

No one sews a piece of undressed cloth on an old coat, for the patch breaks away from it, and the tear is made worse:

nor do men pour fresh wine into old wineskins, otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine is spilt, the wineskins are ruined. They put fresh wine into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved."

He also told a parable to the guests, when he observed how they picked out the best places. "When anyone invites you to a marriage-banquet," he said, "never lie down in the best place, in case a more distinguished guest than yourself has been invited; then the host will tell you, 'Make room for him,' and you will proceed in shame to take the lowest place. read more.
No, when you are invited, go and recline in the lowest place, so that when your host comes in he will tell you, 'Move higher up, my friend.' Then you will be honoured before your fellow guests. For everyone who uplifts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be uplifted."

He also told the following parable to certain persons who were sure of their own goodness and looked down upon everybody else. "Two men went up to pray in the temple; one was a Pharisee and the other was a taxgatherer. The Pharisee stood up and prayed by himself as follows; 'I thank thee, O God, I am not like the rest of men, thieves, rogues, and immoral, or even like yon taxgatherer. read more.
Twice a week I fast; on all my income I pay tithes.' But the taxgatherer stood far away and would not lift even his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'O God, have mercy on me for my sins!' I tell you, he went home accepted by God rather than the other man; for everyone who uplifts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be uplifted."

Or again, suppose a woman has ten shillings. If she loses one of them, does she not light a lamp and scour the house and search carefully till she finds it? And when she finds it she gathers her women-friends and neighbours, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the shilling I lost.' So, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over a single sinner who repents."

"There was a moneylender who had two debtors; one owed him fifty pounds, the other five. As they were unable to pay, he freely forgave them both. Tell me, now, which of them will love him most?" "I suppose," said Simon, "the man who had most forgiven." "Quite right," he said. read more.
Then turning to the woman he said to Simon, "You see this woman? When I came into your house, you never gave me water for my feet, while she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair; you never gave me a kiss, while ever since she came in she has kept pressing kisses on my feet; you never anointed my head with oil, while she has anointed my feet with perfume. Therefore I tell you, many as her sins are, they are forgiven, for her love is great; whereas he to whom little is forgiven has but little love."

No sound tree bears rotten fruit, nor again does a rotten tree bear sound fruit: each tree is known by its fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, and grapes are not plucked from a bramble-bush. The good man produces good from the good stored in his heart, and the evil man evil from his evil: for a man's mouth utters what his heart is full of.

Why do you note the splinter in your brother's eye and fail to see the plank in your own eye? How dare you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the splinter that is in your eye,' and you never notice the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite! take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you will see properly to take out the splinter in your brother's eye.

Jesus said to them, "Can friends at a wedding mourn so long as the bride groom is beside them? A time will come when the bridegroom is taken from them, and then they will fast.

And he said, "It is with the Realm of God as when a man has sown seed on earth; he sleeps at night and rises by day, and the seed sprouts and shoots up ??he knows not how. (For the earth bears crops by itself, the blade first, the ear of corn next, and then the grain full in the ear.) read more.
But whenever the crop is ready, he has the sickle put in at once, as harvest has come."

And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, let me have three loaves; for a friend of mine travelling has come to my house and I have nothing to set before him.' And suppose he answers from the inside, 'Don't bother me; the door is locked by this time, and my children are in bed with me. I can't get up and give you anything.' read more.
I tell you, though he will not get up and give you anything because you are a friend of his, he will at least rise and give you whatever you want, because you persist. So I tell you, ask and the gift will be yours, seek and you will find, knock and the door will open to you;

He also told them a parable about the need of always praying and never losing heart. "In a certain town," he said, "there was a judge who had no reverence for God and no respect even for man. And in that town there was a widow who used to go and appeal to him for 'Justice against my opponent!' read more.
For a while he would not, but afterwards he said to himself, 'Though I have no reverence for God and no respect even for man, still, as this widow is bothering me, I will see justice done to her ??not to have her for ever coming and pestering me.' Listen," said the Lord, "to what this unjust judge says! And will not God see justice done to his elect who cry to him by day and night? Will he be tolerant to their opponents? I tell you, he will quickly see justice done to his elect! And yet, when the Son of man does come, will he find faith on earth?"

And he told this parable. "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; he came in search of fruit on it but he found none. So he said to the vinedresser, 'Here have I come for three years in search of fruit on this fig tree without finding any; cut it down, why should it take up space?' But the man replied, 'Leave it for this year, sir, till I dig round about it and put in manure. read more.
Then it may bear fruit next year. If not, you can have it cut down.'"

He also said to the disciples: "There was a rich man who had a factor, and this factor, he found, was accused of misapplying his property. So he summoned him and said, 'What is this I hear about you? Hand in your accounts; you cannot be factor any longer.' The factor said to himself, 'What am I to do, now that my master is taking the factorship away from me? I am too weak to dig, I am ashamed to beg. read more.
Ah, I know what I will do, so that people will welcome me to their houses when I am deposed from the factorship.' So he summoned every single one of his master's debtors. He asked the first, 'How much are you owing to my master?' 'A hundred barrels of oil,' he said. The factor told him, 'Here is your bill; sit down at once and enter fifty barrels.' Then he asked another, 'And how much do you owe?' 'A hundred quarters of wheat,' he said. 'Here is your bill,' said the factor, 'just enter eighty.' Well, the master praised the dishonest factor for looking ahead; for the children of this world look further ahead in dealing with their own generation than the children of Light.

[Chapters he cuts away any branch on me which is not bearing fruit, and cleans every branch which does bear fruit, to make it bear richer fruit. You are already clean, by the word I have spoken to you. read more.
Remain in me, as I remain in you: just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself, without remaining on the vine, neither can you, unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who remains in me, as I in him, bears rich fruit (because apart from me you can do nothing).

Truly, truly I tell you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs up somewhere else, he is a thief and a robber; he who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gate-keeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice; he calls his sheep by name and leads them out. read more.
When he has brought all his sheep outside, he goes in front of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice; they will not follow a stranger, they will run from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers." Jesus told them this allegory, but they did not understand what he was saying to them;

So he told them this parable, "Which of you with a hundred sheep, if he loses one, does not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one till he finds it? When he finds it he puts it on his shoulders with joy, read more.
and when he gets home he gathers his friends and neighbours: 'Rejoice with me,' he says to them, 'for I have found the sheep I lost.' So, I tell you, there will be joy in heaven over a single sinner who repents, more than over ninety-nine good people who do not need to repent.

He became very hungry and longed for some food. But as they were getting the meal ready, a trance came over him. He saw heaven open and a vessel coming down, like a huge sheet lowered by the four corners to the earth, which contained all quadrupeds and creeping things of the earth and wild birds. read more.
A voice came to him, "Rise, Peter, kill and eat." But Peter said, "No, no, my Lord; I have never eaten anything common or unclean." A second time the voice came back to him, "What God has cleansed, you must not regard as common." This happened three times; then the vessel was at once raised to heaven.

In any great house there are indeed vessels not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for noble, some for menial service. If one will only keep clear of the latter, he will be put to noble use, he will be consecrated and useful to the Owner of the House, he will be set apart for good work of all kinds.

For whoever listens and does nothing, is like a man who glances at his natural face in a mirror; he glances at himself, goes off, and at once forgets what he was like. Whereas he who gazes into the faultless law of freedom and remains in that position, proving himself to be no forgetful listener but an active agent, he will be blessed in his activity.

Surely it is written in the Law that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave-woman and one by the free-woman; but while the son of the slave-woman was born by the flesh, the son of the free-woman was born by the promise. Now this is an allegory. The women are two covenants. One comes from mount Sinai, bearing children for servitude; that is Hagar, read more.
for mount Sinai is away in Arabia. She corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for the latter is in servitude with her children. But the Jerusalem on high is free, and she is 'our' mother. For it is written, Rejoice, O thou barren who bearest not, break into joy, thou who travailest not; for the children of the desolate woman are far more than of the married. Now you are the children of the Promise, brothers, like Isaac; but just as in the old days the son born by the flesh persecuted the son born by the Spirit, so it is still to-day. However, what does the scripture say? Put away the slave-woman and her son, for the son of the slave-woman shall not be heir along with the son of the free-woman. Hence we are children of no slave-woman, my brothers, but of the free-woman,

If a realm is divided against itself, that realm cannot stand:

if a household is divided against itself, that household cannot stand:

He also told them a parabolic word: "Can one blind man lead another? will they not both fall into a pit?

Join the ranks of those who bear suffering, like a loyal soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civil pursuits; his aim is to satisfy his commander.

Again, a competitor in the games is not crowned unless he observes the rules.

The farmer who has done the work must have the first share of the fruit.