Jesus regularly taught the disciples through parables based on life experiences his audience would relate to easily. Out of the 41 parables Jesus taught, 32 included the use of some form of work as an illustration. He taught through examples of public for-profit jobs, public government jobs, and private non-profit jobs. The table below lists the parables of Jesus that include a reference to an occupation in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
Parable | Occupation | Matthew | Mark | Luke |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Two Builders | Building | 7:24-27 | 6:47-49 | |
Children in the Marketplace | Business | 11:16-19 | 7:31-35 | |
Two Debtors | Banking | 7:41-43 | ||
Four Soils | Farming | 13:3-9/18-23 | 4:3-9/13-20 | 8:5-8/11-15 |
Growing Seed | Farming | 4:26-29 | ||
Wheat & Weeds | Buying/Selling | 13:24-30, 36-43 | Cell | Cell |
Field of Hidden Treasure | Merchant | 13:44 | Cell | Cell |
Pearl of Great Price | Fishing | 13:45-46 | Cell | Cell |
Dragnet | Fishing | 13:47-50 | Cell | Cell |
Good Samaritan | Innkeeper | Cell | Cell | 10:30-37 |
Rich Fool | Farming | Cell | Cell | 12:16-21 |
Watchful Servants | Servant/Slave | Cell | 13:34-37 | 12:35-38 |
Householder & Thief | Master/ Householder | 24:43-44 | Cell | 12:39-40 |
Unfaithful Manager | Management | 24:45-51 | Cell | 12:42-48 |
Barren Fig Tree | Farming | Cell | Cell | 13:6-9 |
Great Banquet | Master/ Householder | Cell | Cell | 14:16-24 |
Unfinished Tower | Building | Cell | Cell | 14:28-30 |
Warring King | King | Cell | Cell | 14:31-33 |
Lost Sheep | Shepherd | 18:12-14 | Cell | 15:4-7 |
Unforgiven Debt | Jailor | 18:23-35 | Cell | |
Prodigal Son | Laborer/Farming | Cell | Cell | 15:11-32 |
Unjust Manager | Begging/ Management | Cell | Cell | 16:1-13 |
Unprofitable Servant | Servant/Slave | Cell | Cell | 17:7-10 |
Unjust Judge | Judge | Cell | Cell | 18:1-8 |
Pharisee & Tax Collector | Tax Collector | Cell | Cell | 18:9-14 |
Ten Minas | Business | Cell | Cell | 19:11-27 |
Vineyard Workers | Laborer | 20:1-16 | Cell | Cell |
Two Sons | Farming | 21:28-32 | Cell | Cell |
Wicked Tenants | Tenant Farmer | 21:33-46 | 12:1-12 | 20:9-19 |
Wedding Feast | Army | 22:1-14 | Cell | Cell |
Ten Bridesmaids | Seller/Dealer | 25:1-13 | Cell | Cell |
Talents | Banking | 25:14-30 | Cell | Cell |
Note: This chart of Jesus' parables was adapted from an article written by Dr. Klaus Issler, originally published April 28, 2014, by the Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics.
