A Parable is a story or comparison Jesus used to reveal the mysteries of the kingdom to those who have ears to hear.
He spoke of sowers, seeds, weeds, nets, treasures, virgins, and servants so that the hidden things of the kingdom might be made known.
Parables both reveal and conceal.
The same story that gives light to the disciple hardens the one who will not hear.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
These stories show what the kingdom of God is like: how the word is sown, how the kingdom grows, and how it will be sorted at the end of the age.
These brief comparisons sit beside the longer parables. Jesus used them to teach about light, new life, and the incompatibility of the old and the new.
These parables reveal the heart of God toward sinners. Heaven rejoices over one who was lost and is found.
These parables teach what love looks like in action: mercy toward the wounded, forgiveness toward the debtor, and humility before God.
These parables urge disciples to keep asking and not lose heart. The Father hears those who cry to Him.
These parables call the church to stay awake. The Lord is coming, the time is unknown, and faithfulness will be rewarded.
These parables warn that the invitation of the kingdom can be refused, and that a day of accounting is coming.
These parables press the hearer to count the cost, build on the rock, and follow Jesus without looking back.
The Wedding Feast and the Great Banquet are similar invitation stories, but Matthew and Luke tell them as distinct parables.
The lamp, the new cloth, and the new wine are shorter sayings, yet Jesus used them as true comparisons of the kingdom.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.