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Mysteries of the Kingdom by Jon Kennedy

When Jesus' disciples asked him about why he spoke in parables, he replied, “It is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom” but to those among the crowds gathering to hear him teach who reject him and his Kingdom, “it has not been given … I speak to them in parables because they do not see when seeing, and do not understand when hearing” (see Matthew 13:10–17, Mark 4:10–12, and Luke 8:9–10). This information is sandwiched between each of the evangelists' recitation of Jesus' Parable of the Sower and his explanation to the disciples of its meaning.

As with most events in his ministry, Jesus' parables are ordered in different sequences from one Gospel to the next, and some appear in some Gospels, or in only one, but not in all, as the following table illustrates.

Parables in the Gospels

The Parable of

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

1. The bread of life

6:30–59

2. New patch on an old garment

9:16

2:21

5:36

3. New wine in old wineskins

9:17

2:22

5:37,38

4. The sower and the soils

13:3–13

4:2–20

8:4–15

5. Lamp under a bushel

5:14–16

4:21,22

8:16,17/11:33–36

6. The seed that grows up

4:26–29

7. The wheat and the tares

13:24–30

8. Wicked tenant vineyard keepers

21:33–45

12:1–12

20:9–19

9. Prophecy of the fig tree

24:32–44

13:28–32

21:29–33

10. The watchful doorkeeper

13:33–37

11. Wise and foolish men's houses

7:24–27

6:47–49
<tgroup cols="5"> <colspec colnum="1" colname="col1" colsep="0" rowsep="0" colwidth="40%" align="left"/> <colspec colnum="2" colname="col2" colsep="0" rowsep="0" colwidth="15%" align="left"/> <colspec colnum="3" colname="col3" colsep="0" rowsep="0" colwidth="15%" align="left"/> <colspec colnum="4" colname="col4" colsep="0" rowsep="0" colwidth="15%" align="left"/> <colspec colnum="5" colname="col5" colsep="0" rowsep="0" colwidth="15%" align="left"/> <thead> <tr> <td><p>The Parable of</p></td> <td><p>Matthew</p></td> <td><p>Mark</p></td> <td><p>Luke</p></td> <td><p>John</p></td> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td><p>12. Kingdom compared to a mustard seed</p></td> <td><p>13:31,32</p></td> <td><p>4:30–32</p></td> <td><p>13:18,19</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>13. Leavening yeast</p></td> <td><p>13:33</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><p>13:20,21</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>14. Treasure hidden in field</p></td> <td><p>13:44</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>15. Pearl of great price</p></td> <td><p>13:45, 46</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>16. Both good and bad fish caught in the net</p></td> <td><p>13:47–50</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>17. Scribe like a householder</p></td> <td><p>13:52</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>18. The lost sheep and the 99</p></td> <td><p>18:12–14</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><p>15:3–7</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>19. Forgiven servant who doesn't forgive</p></td> <td><p>18:23–35</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>20. Hired laborers for vineyard</p></td> <td><p>20:1–16</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>21. Sons and the father's will</p></td> <td><p>21:28–32</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>22. Guests for wedding feast</p></td> <td><p>22:2–14</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><p>14:16–24</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>23. Wise and foolish virgins</p></td> <td><p>25:1–13</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>24. Talents</p></td> <td><p>25:14–30</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><p>19:11–27</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>25. Debtors and forgiveness</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><p>7:41–43</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>26. The Good Samaritan</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><p>10:30–37</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>27. Friend in need persists</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><p>11:5–13</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>28. The foolish rich farmer</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><p>12:16–21</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>29. Watching servants</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><p>12:35–40</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>30. Servants unprepared for master's return</p></td> <td><p>24:45–51</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><p>12:42–48</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>31. Barren fig tree spared</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><p>13:6–9</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>32. The shepherd and sheep</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><p>10:1–30</p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <table frame="none" width="100%"> <title/> <tgroup cols="5"> <colspec colnum="1" colname="col1" colsep="0" rowsep="0" colwidth="40%" align="left"/> <colspec colnum="2" colname="col2" colsep="0" rowsep="0" colwidth="15%" align="left"/> <colspec colnum="3" colname="col3" colsep="0" rowsep="0" colwidth="15%" align="left"/> <colspec colnum="4" colname="col4" colsep="0" rowsep="0" colwidth="15%" align="left"/> <colspec colnum="5" colname="col5" colsep="0" rowsep="0" colwidth="15%" align="left"/> <thead> <tr> <td><p>The Parable of</p></td> <td><p>Matthew</p></td> <td><p>Mark</p></td> <td><p>Luke</p></td> <td><p>John</p></td> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td><p>33. Highest and lowest seats</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><p>14:7–11</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>34. The cost of building and of making war</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><p>14:25–35</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>35. Lost drachma coin</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><p>15:8–10</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>36. The prodigal son</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><p>15:11–32</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>37. Scheming manager</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><p>16:1–13</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>38. Rich man and Lazarus</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><p>16:19–31</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>39. Unworthy servants</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><p>17:7–10</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>40. The widow's persistence</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><p>18:1–8</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>41. The prayers of a Pharisee and a tax collector</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><p>18:9–14</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>42. The vine and the branches</p></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><para/></td> <td><p>15:1–27</p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <!--/gc--> <div id="pagination"><ul><li class="prev"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/jesus/parables-and-other-teachings/hidden-wisdom.htm" title="Hidden Wisdom">Hidden Wisdom</a></li><li class="next"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/jesus/parables-and-other-teachings/the-sower.htm" title="The Sower">The Sower</a> </li></ul></div></div> <div id="coda"> <div id="rel"><div class="n5">Related Articles</div><ul> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/jesus/parables-and-other-teachings/mysteries-of-the-kingdom.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> Mysteries of the Kingdom - Jesus </a></li> <li><a href="http://atheism.about.com/od/biblegospelofmark/a/index_4.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> Agnosticism / Atheism, - Articles </a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/jesus/parables-and-other-teachings/hidden-wisdom.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> Hidden Wisdom - Jesus </a></li> <li><a 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