Parables of Jesus

in the
Gospel acc. to Matthew:21 and 22
Jesus, the Story-Teller
• Jesus told stories to help people understand big
concepts. His stories were about people they
could identify with. They were about activities
the population engaged in.
• Parables are FICTIONAL stories used
to convey religious or moral TRUTHS!
So what exactly ARE “parables”?
• “A short story or simple image
used to illustrate a deeper message”
 What is the Purpose of Parables?
• Parables are used to teach a lesson or make a
general point about a larger philosophical
or religious issue, or to instruct people about
proper courses of action. Because the stories are
easily understood and engaging for all types of
people, parables are an effective way to reach
potential believers.
Following are the parables told from Matthew
21 and 22.
Two Sons
Mattew
21:28-32
https://youtu.be/pEz1rkZj7dU
Two Sons (Matt 21:28-32)
• In this parable a man had two sons. He told them
to go and work in his vineyard. One son said that
he would not go. Later, he was sorry, and he
went. The other son said that he would go. But he
did not go. The son, who at first refused, obeyed
his father.

• What was Jesus teaching people

by this parable?
• The significance of this story is that if you are
not true to your word than you’re not really a
good person. The first son, who does not want to
work on the vineyard but winds up helping,
represents the people who were non-believers that
were sent a message by John the Baptist to believe in
God.
• These people repented and wound up following God,
as shown by the first son deciding to help with the
vineyard after saying no. The second son represents
the people who have been believers for their entire
life. Even though these people have been believers for
their entire life they continue to commit sins such as
lying.
https://youtu.be/EOkKQhd5x3Y
Parable of the workers and the vineyard

• In this parable, a farmer allowed other people to

rent his vineyard. They had to send him some
fruit as payment. The farmer sent servants to
receive the fruit. The men in the vineyard
attacked and killed the servants. At last the
farmer sent his son. The men in the vineyard
killed the son also. Then the farmer killed the
men in the vineyard. Afterwards, the farmer let
the vineyard to other people.
What was Jesus teaching people by this parable?

• The parable was very clear. This one involves

tenants who refused to pay the owner his agreed
upon share of the crops. Instead, they mistreated
and killed the servants he sent and then killed
the owner's son. Jesus compares Israel's
religious leaders to these tenants, saying the
kingdom of God will be taken from them.
https://youtu.be/pFXbm7m0d-o
 Parable of the wedding
feast
• In this parable, a king has a wedding feast for his son. The king
invites certain special guests. He sends many messages to them,
but they refuse to come. Instead, they kill the king’s servants.
The king then becomes very angry. He sends an army to destroy
the city of these people. After this, he invites other, more
common people, to the wedding. He encourages them to come.
In such feasts the king usually gave special clothes to the guests.
But when the king came he saw someone without special
clothes. The king ordered the servants to force this man to leave.
The man had refused to wear the clothes from the king.
 What was Jesus teaching people by this
parable?
• In this parable, the king is like God. And the first guests
are like the Jews who would not obey God. The first
guests killed the king’s servants. These servants are like
the prophets whom God sent to the Jews. These Jews
killed the prophets or dealt badly with them. The city in
the parable is like Jerusalem. In the parable, the king
destroyed the city. Jesus spoke here about the time to
come. 40 years after Jesus said these words, the Romans
destroyed Jerusalem. Today, God invites everybody to
join the Kingdom of God, whether they are Jews or
Gentiles.
• The last part of the parable is very important. God
wants all people to be sorry for the wrong things that
they have done. We must trust in what Christ has done
for us. When we believe in him, we can be part of
God’s kingdom.
• The parable teaches us that people from every nation
can be Christians. The message of Jesus is for
everybody – both Jews and Gentiles.
 CONCLUSION
• God wants all people to be sorry for the wrong things
that they have done. They should obey him. Then they
will belong to the kingdom of God. But there is only
one way to do this. God will forgive us because of what
Christ did for us. He helps us to live in a new way. This
is like the special clothes that the king gave to his
guests. None of us can stand before God because of
our own goodness. We cannot be good enough, on our
own. We must trust in what Christ has done for us.
When we believe in him, we can be part of God’s
kingdom.
• The key to understanding this parable and what
it says about the religious leaders is found in
verse 43, where Jesus makes their lack of
obedience personal. Jesus tells the leaders that
because of their disobedience they will be left out
of the kingdom of heaven