In an earlier study to determine the narrative sources for the Gospels, Jesus’ Parables were not used; now they are. Again, it is necessary to reiterate the traditional teachings of Bible scholars and clergy in the Christian Church as to the gospel of MARK being the narrative source material for MATTHEW or LUKE, because it was supposedly the earliest account of the Life and teachings of Jesus recorded. In this lesson however, the abundance of evidence seems to favor the book of MATTHEW as having the greater compilation of the Parables of Jesus found anywhere else among the other Gospel authors. Additionally, one must keep in mind the particular audience to whom Jesus was expounding these obscure and deep truths concerning the kingdom of heaven; and not to always, as it were, to think that the specific teachings and life lessons which Jesus revealed as always applying to the Christian Church.
MATTHEW
(“The Multitudes”)
5: 3-12 “The Beatitudes;” 13-16 Salt and Light; 17-20 Christ Fulfils the Law; 21-26 Murder is in the Heart; 27-30 The Law of Adultery; 31-32 The Law of Marriage and Divorce; 33-37 The Law of Oaths; 38-42 The Law of Going the Extra Mile; 43-48 The Law of Love Your Enemies;
6: 1-4 Do Good to Please God; 5-15 “The Lord’s Prayer;” 16-18 The Law of Fasting; 19-21 Laying up Treasures in Heaven; 22-23 The Eye is the Lamp of the Body; 24 Serving God and Mammon [Riches]; 25-34 The Law regarding Worry;
7: 1-12 The Law against Judging One Another; 13-14 The Narrow Way; 15-20 Know them by their Fruits; 21-23 Jesus says, I Never Knew You”; 24-28 The House Built on the Rock;
11: 20-24 Jesus Pronounces Woes
(“The Pharisees”)
12: 34-40 A Kingdom Divided against Itself Cannot Stand; 31-32 The Unpardonable Sin; 33-37 A Tree is Known by Its Fruits;
(“The Scribes and Pharisees”)
12: 39-42 The Sign of Jonah; 43-45 The Return of an Unclean Spirit;
(“The Multitudes/The Twelve”)
13:3-9 “Parable of the Sower;”
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
13: 10-17 The Purpose of Parables; 18-23 The Purpose of Parables Explained;
(“The Multitude”)
13: 24-30 Parable of the Wheat and Tares; 31-32 Parable of the Mustard Seed;
33 Parable of the Leaven; 34-35 Parables mentioned in Prophesy;
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
36-43 Parable of the Tares Explained; 44 Parable of the Hidden Treasure; 45-46 Parable of the Pearl of Great Price; 47-52 Parable of the Great Dragnet;
(“The Pharisees and Sadducees”)
16: 1-4 Seeking a Sign; the Sign of Jonah;
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
18: 6-9 Jesus Warns of giving Offense; 10-14 Parable of the Lost Sheep; 15-16 A Sinning Brother; 21-35 Parable of the Unforgiving Servant;
20: 1-16 Parable of Workers in the Vineyard
(“The Pharisees/Chief priests/Elders”)
21: 28-32 Parable of the Two Sons; 33-44 Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers
22: 1-14 Parable of the Wedding Feast;
23: 1-36 Woe on the Scribes and Pharisees
(“The Disciples/The Twelve”)
24: 32-35 Parable of the Fig Tree; 45-51 Parable of the Faithful and Evil Servant;
25: 1-13 Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins; 14-30 Parable of the Talents;
MARK
(“The Multitude”)
4: 2-9 “Parable of the Sower;”
(“The Twelve”)
4: 10-12 The Purpose of Parables; 13-20 Parable of the Sower Explained; 21-23 The Eye is the Lamp of the Body; 26-29 Parable of the Growing Seed;30-32 Parable of the Mustard Seed;
(“The Pharisees”)
8: 11-12 The Sign of Jonah (??)
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
9: 42-48 Jesus Warns of giving Offense; 49-50 tasteless Salt is Worthless;
(“The Multitudes/Pharisees”)
10: 1-12 The Law of Marriage and Divorce;
(“The Chief priests/Scribes/Elders”)
12: 1-12 Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers;
(“Peter, James, John, and Andrew”)
13: 28-31 Parable of the Fig Tree;
LUKE
(“The Multitudes”)
6: 20-23 “The Beatitudes;” 24-26 Jesus Pronounces Woes; 27-36; The Law of Love Your Enemies; 37-42 The Law against Judging One Another; 43-45 A Tree is Known by its Fruits; 46-49 The House Built on the Rock;
(“The Multitudes”)
8: 4-8 “Parable of the Sower;”
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
8: 9 The Purpose of Parables; 11-15 Parable of the Sower Explained; 16-18 Parable of the Revealed Light;
(“The Seventy”)
10: 13-16 Woe to the Impertinent Cities [Jesus Pronounces Woes??]
(“A Certain Lawyer”)
10: 25-37 Parable of the Good Samaritan;
(“One of the Disciples”)
11: 1-4 “The Lord’s Prayer;” 5-8 A Friend Comes at Midnight; 9-13 Keep Asking, Seeking, and Knocking;
(“The Pharisees”)
11: 14-23 A Kingdom Divided against Itself Cannot Stand; 24-26 The Return of an Unclean Spirit;
(“The Multitude/Crowd??”)
11: 29-32 The Sign of Jonah; 33-36 The Eye is the Lamp of the Body; 42-53 Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees;
(“One in the Crowd”)
12: 13-21 Parable of the Rich Young Fool;
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
12: 22-31 The Law regarding Worry; 32-34 Laying up Treasures in Heaven;
35-48 The Faithful and Evil Servant;
(“Some at the Synagogue)
13: 6-10 Parable of the Barren Fig Tree; 18-19 Parable of the Mustard Seed;
20-21Parable of the Leaven;
(“One in the Crowd”)
13: 22-30 The Narrow Way;
(“One of the invited guests of a Pharisee”)
14: 7-14 Parable of the Lowly Place; 15-25 Parable of the Great Supper;
(“The Multitudes”)
14: 25-33 Leaving All to Follow Christ; 34-35 Tasteless Salt is Worthless;
(“The Scribes and Pharisees”)
15: 1-7 Parable of the Lost Sheep; 8-10 Parable of the Lost Coin; 11-32 Parable of the Lost (‘Prodigal’) Son;
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
16: 1-13 Parable of the Unjust Stewart;
(“The Pharisees”)
16: 18 The Law of Marriage and Divorce (??); 19-31 Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus;
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
17: 1-2 Jesus warns against giving Offense; 3-4 A Sinning Brother;
18: 1-8 Parable of the persistent Widow;
(“The Pharisees”)
18: 9-14 The Pharisee and the Tax Collector;
(“The Crowd/Disciples in Jericho; 19: 7, 11??”)
19: 11-27 Parable of the Minas [‘Talents’??]
(“The Chief priests and Scribes”)
20: 9-19 Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers”)
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
Parable of the Fig Tree;
JOHN
(“The Pharisees”)
10: 1-6 Jesus is the true Shepherd; 7-18 Jesus is the Good Shepherd;
(“Some Greeks, Andrew, and Phillip)
12: 20-26 The Fruitful Grain of Wheat;
(“The Disciples/The Twelve??”)
15: 1-8 Jesus is the True Vine;
SCORECARD:
Of LUKE’s 45 Parables, 28 of them are found in MATTHEW; 9 of MARK’s 10 Parables are recorded in MATTHEW; None of JOHN’s Parables are found in any of the Gospel books, and MATTHEW contains the most Parables of Jesus, with roughly 50 of them.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
February 19, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
