Concentration of Wisdom
The greatest concentration of parables given by Jesus are 14 from Mid-November to December 18 in 29 A.D. A close second is 13 taught in January and February of 30 A.D. This means that 27 parables were offered during a period spanning only three and one-half months!
Trivia on Jesus' Parables - Part 1!
Luke recorded 23 of Jesus' 27 parables during the three and one-half-month period mentioned above. Sixteen of the 23 are unique to his gospel such as the good Samaritan (Luke 10:30 - 37), the lost coin (15:8 - 10), the prodigal son (15:11 - 32), the unjust steward (16:1 - 9) and the unjust judge (18:2 - 8).
Chapter Concentration
Which New Testament chapter has the highest concentration of parables from Jesus? The answer is Matthew 13 which records eight of them!
The first four parables of Jesus in Matthew 13 are the Sower (verses 3 - 23), the tares (24 - 30), the mustard seed (31 - 32) and hidden leaven (verse 33). The last four are treasure hidden in a field (verse 44), the pearl of great price (45 - 46), the Kingdom of God is like a net (47 - 50) and the householder (verse 52).
Interestingly, six of Matthew 13's eight parables are unique to his gospel! This also makes the chapter the highest concentration of unique parables in the New Testament.
Why Luke?
Why did Luke record more of the parables of Jesus, and more of them that are unique to his book, than Matthew or John? Luke was a gentile who converted to Christianity more than ten years after the start of the New Testament church. He was not an eyewitness of the Lord's ministry. Matthew and John, however, were two of the original twelve apostles who witnessed firsthand his ministry.
Matthew and John wrote their gospels based on the teachings and events they heard and saw. Luke, in contrast, had to rely on other things for his account. He first researched existing written records from eye-witnesses of Jesus' ministry. He then interviewed some of the apostles (including Paul) and many other people (e.g. Jesus' mother) who had an intimate knowledge of the Lord's life (Luke 1:1 - 4).
The variety of sources Luke researched meant that he was able to compile a comprehensive gospel that included events and teachings (including parables) not found elsewhere!
Wise Versus the Foolish
Jesus sometimes placed a special emphasis on pointing out spiritually wise versus foolish (or evil) behavior. The parables he gave contrasting such behavior are the wise and foolish builders (Matthew 7:24 - 27, Luke 6:47 - 49) and the wise and evil servants (Luke 12:42 - 48, Matthew 24:45 - 51).
"Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and practices them, I will compare him to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock; and the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; but it did not fall, for it was founded upon the rock.
"And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not practice them shall be compared to a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand; and the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it." (Matthew 7:24 - 27).
Jesus also taught about the wise and foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1 - 13), the talents (Matthew 25:14 - 30) and the parable of the pounds (Luke 19:11 - 27).
Unique Parables in Matthew
1. Tares (Matthew 13:24 - 30).
2. Treasure hidden in a field (13:44).
3. The pearl of great price (13:45 - 46).
4. Kingdom of God like a net (dragnet) (13:47 - 50).
5. Parable of householder (13:52).
6. The unforgiving servant (18:23 - 35).
7. The workers in the vineyard (20:1 - 16).
8. Parable of two sons (21:28 - 32).
9. Marriage of the king's son (22:1 - 14).
10. The ten virgins (25:1 - 13).
11. Parable of the talents (25:14 - 30).
12. Separating sheep and goats (25:31 - 46).
Unique Parables in Mark
1. The growing seed (Mark 4:26 - 29).
2. Homeowner travels to far country (13:34 - 36).
Unique Parables in Luke
1. Two debtors owe creditor (Luke 7:40 - 47).
2. Good Samaritan (10:30 - 37).
3. A friend needs food at midnight (11:5 - 8).
4. The rich fool (12:16 - 21).
5. The watchfulness of servants (12:35 - 40).
6. Barren fig tree (13:6 - 9).
7. Parable of wedding feast (14:7 - 11).
8. Parable of great supper (banquet) (14:15 - 24).
9. Building a tower (14:28 - 30, 33).
10. King going to war (14:31 - 33).
11. The lost coin (15:8 - 10).
12. Prodigal son (15:11 - 32).
13. The unjust steward (16:1 - 9).
14. Lazarus and the rich man (16:19 - 31).
15. Unprofitable servant (17:7 - 10).
16. The unjust judge (18:2 - 8).
17. The Pharisee and the tax collector (publican) (18:10 - 14).
18. Parable of the pounds (19:11 - 27).
Unique Parables in John
1. The good Shepherd (John 10:1 - 18).
2. Parable of the vine and branches (15:1 - 6).
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman. He takes away every branch in Me that does not bear fruit; but He cleanses each one that bears fruit, in order that it may bear more fruit . . .
"Dwell in Me, and I in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit of itself, but only if it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you are dwelling in Me . . ." (John 15:1 - 2, 4).
Miscellaneous Trivia
Luke is the only gospel writer to record any of the parables of Jesus from January to February in 30 A.D. It was in this year that Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected from the dead. He also recorded the Lord's only parable given on March 29 of the same year (Luke 19:11 - 27) taught after he and the disciples left Jericho.