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A parable is a story in which a real and earthly thing is used to parallel
or illustrate a spiritual or heavenly thing. Such a story acts as a "riddle"
that both veils and reveals all at once -- veiling the spiritual behind words
that reveal the earthly and which can be penetrated to reach the spiritual
by those "who have ears to hear."
Jesus tells us that He spoke in parables precisely to veil and reveal, to
speak, in a sense, "secretly" while not in secret at all. As recorded
in Matthew 13:10-17:
And his disciples
came and said to Him: Why speakest Thou to them in parables?
Who answered and said to them: Because to you it is given to know the mysteries
of the kingdom of heaven: but to them it is not given. For he that hath,
to him shall be given, and he shall abound: but he that hath not, from him
shall be taken away that also which he hath.
Therefore do I speak to them in parables: because seeing they see not, and
hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And the prophecy of Isaias
is fulfilled in them, who saith: By hearing you shall hear, and shall not
understand: and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive. For the heart
of this people is grown gross, and with their ears they have been dull of
hearing, and their eyes they have shut: lest at any time they should see
with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart,
and be converted, and I should heal them.
But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they
hear. For, amen, I say to you, many prophets and just men have desired to
see the things that you see, and have not seen them, and to hear the things
that you hear and have not heard them.
There is not "secret
doctrine"; Jesus Himself said, as recorded in John 18:20, "In secret I have
spoken nothing." There are His words spoken in open for all to hear -- but
which "go over the heads" of those who will not to hear them and whom
God has allowed to be hardened in their choices. To the person wearing dark
sunglasses, a rose's red looks black -- but the rose is there in its colorful
brilliance for all to see if they'd simply remove the obstacles between their
eyes and the flower. St. Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers (d. 368) spoke of this
when he wrote, "we do not read that our Lord was wont to preach at night,
and expound His doctrine in the dark: but He says this because His speech
is darkness to the carnal-minded, and His words are night to the
unbeliever."
All of the parables are found -- often repeated -- in the synoptic Gospels,
that is, the Gospels of SS Matthew, Mark, and Luke; none are found in St.
John's Gospel. They've been numbered differently at various times, depending
on whether proverbial expressions and simple metaphors are counted as separate
parables and whether certain parables are grouped together, such as "The
Hidden Treasure" and "The Pearl of Great Price." Here I present them, grouped
as thirty-three stories, with commentary by St. John Chrysostom for most
of those from St. Matthew's Gospel, and other commentary by other Saints
and Doctors, from the Catholic Encyclopedia, etc. when available. Click on
the titles to read...
Lamp Under a
Basket |
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Found: |
Matthew 5:13-16
Mark 4:21-22
Luke 8:16-17, 11:33-36 |
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Theme: |
Being
a witness to the power of Christ
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The Wise Man Who Builds
on Rock and the Fool Who Builds on Sand |
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Found: |
Matthew
7:15-29
Luke 6:47-49 |
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Theme: |
The
importance of sound doctrine and doing good works
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New Cloth on Old Garments
& New Wine in Old Wineskins |
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Found: |
Matthew
9:14-17
Mark 2:18-22
Luke 5:33-39 |
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Theme: |
On preparation,
timing, and refraining from judgment
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The
Sower |
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Found: |
Matthew
13:1-23
Mark 4:1-29
Luke 8:4-15 |
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Theme: |
On orienting
the will to receive Christ, and doing so in a manner in which grace isn't
lost during times of temptation and testing
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The Cockle (or "Tares")
Among the Wheat |
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Found: |
Matthew
13:24-30 |
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Theme: |
On the importance
of vigilance against heresies, and of some tolerance of heretics brought
about by the Enemy
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The Mustard Seed &
The Leaven |
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Found: |
Matthew 13:31-35
Mark 4:30-34
Luke 13:18-21 |
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Theme: |
On how so few
can change the world by spreading the Gospel and putting on Christ
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The Hidden Treasure
& The Pearl of Great Price |
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Found: |
Matthew 13:44-46
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Theme: |
On the preciousness
of belonging to God's Kingdom
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The Draw
Net |
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Found: |
Matthew 13:47-50
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Theme: |
On the separation
of the good from the evil
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The Lost Sheep &
The Lost Coin |
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Found: |
Matthew 18:1-14
Luke 15:1-10 |
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Theme: |
On the value
to God of each and every soul, even those of the smallest ones and of the
greatest sinners
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The Unmerciful
Servant |
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Found: |
Matthew 18:21-35
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Theme: |
On being as
merciful to and forgiving of others as God is to and of us
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The Labourers in the
Vineyard |
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Found: |
Matthew 20:1-16
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Theme: |
On the sovereignty
of God, doing what is right because it is right, spiritual jealousy, and
how it is never too late to repent
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The Two
Sons |
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Found: |
Matthew 21:28-32
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Theme: |
On doing the
will of God instead of being a hypocrite
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The Wicked
Husbandmen |
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Found: |
Matthew 21:33-46
Mark 12:1-12
Luke 20:9-20 |
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Theme: |
On the Old
Covenant being fulfilled and the New Covenant coming into being
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The Marriage of the
King's Son |
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Found: |
Matthew 22:1-14
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Theme: |
On responding
to God and showing fruits
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The Fig
Tree |
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Found: |
Matthew
24:32-42
Mark 13:28-33
Luke 21:29-36 |
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Theme: |
On being prepared
(compare with the parables of the Ten Virgins, The Faithful and Wicked
Stewards, and The Man Going on a Long Journey)
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The Man Going on a
Long Journey |
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Found: |
Matthew
24:42-51
Mark 13:33-37 |
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Theme: |
On being prepared
(compare with the parables of The Fig Tree, The Ten Virgins, and The Faithful
and Wicked Stewards)
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The Faithful and Wicked
Stewards |
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Found: |
Matthew 24:45-51
Luke 12:35-48 |
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Theme: |
On being prepared
(compare with the parables of The Fig Tree, The Ten Virgins, and The Man
Going on a Long Journey)
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The Ten
Virgins |
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Found: |
Matthew
25:1-13 |
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Theme: |
On being prepared
(compare with the parables of the Fig Tree, The Man Going on a Long
Journey, and The Faithful and Wicked Stewards)
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The Talents |
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Found: |
Matthew
25:14-30 |
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Theme: |
On being
fruitful
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The Two
Debtors |
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Found: |
Luke 7:41-43
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Theme: |
On God's awesome
mercy as contrasted with the judgmentalism of man (compare with the Parable
of The Prodigal Son)
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The Good
Samaritan |
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Found: |
Luke 10:23-37
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Theme: |
On charity
as opposed to legalism
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The Friend at
Midnight |
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Found: |
Luke
11:1-10 |
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Theme: |
On persistence
in prayer (compare with The Parable of the Unjust Judge)
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The Rich
Fool |
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Found: |
Luke
12:16-34 |
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Theme: |
On laying up
treasures in Heaven rather than on earth (compare with the parable of the
Dives and Lazarus)
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The Barren Fig
Tree |
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Found: |
Luke 13:6-9
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Theme: |
On the faithless
of the Old Covenant, and the importance of bearing spiritual fruit
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The Great
Supper |
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Found: |
Luke 14:7-24
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Theme: |
On the universality
of the Church, the great commission to preach the Gospel to all, and the
necessity of responding to God when called
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The Tower and the
War-making King |
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Found: |
Luke 14:25-35
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Theme: |
On prioritizing
our lives such that God is first
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The Prodigal
Son |
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Found: |
Luke 15:11-32
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Theme: |
On God's mercy
(compare with the parable of The Two Debtors)
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The Unjust
Steward |
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Found: |
Luke 16:1-10
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Theme: |
On being crafty
and making use of opportunities in an innocent manner
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The Dives (Rich Man)
and Lazarus |
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Found: |
Luke 16:19-34
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Theme: |
On laying up
treasures in Heaven rather than on earth (compare with The Parable of the
Rich Fool)
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The Unprofitable
Servants |
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Found: |
Luke 17:7-10
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Theme: |
On how we are
saved by grace and not of works (compare with the parable of The Pharisee
and the Publican)
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The Unjust Judge
(or "The Persistent Widow) |
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Found: |
Luke 18:1-8
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Theme: |
On longsuffering
and persistent prayer
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The Pharisee and the
Publican |
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Found: |
Luke 18:9-14
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Theme: |
On humility
and grace (compare with the parable of The Unprofitable Servants)
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The Pounds (or "The
Minae") |
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Found: |
Luke 19:11-27
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Theme: |
On using what
God gives you, to His glory |
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