The 24 Parables in the Gospel of Luke

Jun 16

Quick Summary

Luke's Gospel contains 24 parables, more than any other Gospel by most counts. Eleven of them appear only in Luke, including the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and the Rich Man and Lazarus. Again and again, Luke's parables make heroes of outsiders, warn the comfortable, and show a God who throws a party when the lost come home.

Why Luke's Parables Still Grab Us

If you grew up in church, you probably knew the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son before you could find Luke in the table of contents. That is not an accident. Luke collected the stories that stick: a beaten man rescued by the last person anyone expected, a father running down the road in his robe, a widow who will not stop knocking. Jesus told these stories to people who thought they already knew who God loved. Most of them walked away surprised.

Below you'll find all 24 parables in the order they appear in Luke, a short guide to which parable to read for what you're facing, and a summary of every parable with its meaning, a question to sit with, and a link to the full verse-by-verse commentary. Whether you're preparing a sermon, teaching a class, or just reading for yourself, take your time. These stories were meant to be lived with.

New to Luke? Start with the Gospel of Luke summary and themes, the summary of Luke by chapter, or the 18 miracles in Luke.

The 24 Parables in Luke in Order

Each parable has a short summary further down the page, listed by the same number. Parables marked with a star (★) appear only in Luke.

New Wine and Old Wineskins (Luke 5:36–39)
The Wise and Foolish Builders (Luke 6:46–49)
The Two Debtors (Luke 7:41–43) ★
The Sower (Luke 8:4–15)
The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37) ★
The Friend at Midnight (Luke 11:5–8) ★
The Rich Fool (Luke 12:16–21) ★
The Watchful Servants (Luke 12:35–40)
The Faithful and Wise Manager (Luke 12:42–48)
The Barren Fig Tree (Luke 13:6–9) ★
The Mustard Seed (Luke 13:18–19)
The Yeast (Luke 13:20–21)
The Narrow Door (Luke 13:22–30)
The Great Banquet (Luke 14:15–24)
The Lost Sheep (Luke 15:3–7)
The Lost Coin (Luke 15:8–10) ★
The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32) ★
The Shrewd Manager (Luke 16:1–13) ★
The Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31) ★
The Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1–8) ★
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9–14) ★
The Ten Minas (Luke 19:11–27)
The Wicked Tenants (Luke 20:9–19)
The Fig Tree (Luke 21:29–33)

Which Parable Should I Read?

Jesus told parables to real people in real situations. If you're not sure where to start, find what you're facing below and scroll to that number.

You feel far from God, or someone you love does: #15, #16, and #17, the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son
You've been praying and nothing seems to happen: #6, the friend at midnight, and #20, the persistent widow
You're worried about money or the future: #7, the rich fool, and #18, the shrewd manager
You're not sure who your "neighbor" is: #5, the Good Samaritan
You feel small, and wonder if your faith matters: #11, the mustard seed, and #12, the yeast
You know you've failed and need forgiveness: #3, the two debtors, and #21, the Pharisee and the tax collector
You feel like you've wasted time and it's too late: #10, the barren fig tree
You're comfortable and want to be challenged: #19, the rich man and Lazarus, and #14, the great banquet
You wonder what God expects you to do while you wait: #8, #9, and #22, the watchful servants, the faithful manager, and the ten minas
You're preparing a sermon on grace: start with #17, then read #3 and #21

Summaries of the 24 Parables in Luke

1. The Parable of New Wine and Old Wineskins (Luke 5:36–39)

The story: When critics ask why Jesus' disciples feast instead of fast, Jesus answers with two images. No one sews a patch from a new garment onto an old one, and no one pours new wine into old wineskins, because the fermenting wine will burst them. "New wine must be put into fresh wineskins."

What it means: Jesus is not a repair job on old religion. The kingdom he brings needs new hearts and new ways of living. Luke alone adds a wry line: people who have tasted the old wine say, "The old is good." Change is hard, even good change.

Sit with this: Where am I trying to pour something new from God into an old container?

2. The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders (Luke 6:46–49)

The story: Jesus ends the Sermon on the Plain with two builders. One digs deep and lays a foundation on rock; when the flood comes, the house stands. The other builds without a foundation, and the house collapses: "great was the ruin of that house."

What it means: Hearing Jesus is not the same as following him. "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I tell you?" (6:46). The storm comes to both houses. The difference is what lies underneath.

Sit with this: If a storm hit this week, what would my life be standing on?

3. The Parable of the Two Debtors (Luke 7:41–43) ★

The story: At dinner in a Pharisee's home, a woman known as a sinner weeps over Jesus' feet and anoints them. When his host silently judges her, Jesus tells of two debtors, one owing five hundred denarii and one owing fifty. Both are forgiven. "Which of them will love him more?"

What it means: Love grows from forgiveness received. The woman is not loved because she loved much; she loves much because she has been forgiven much. The Pharisee's problem is not that he sinned less, but that he did not know his need.

Sit with this: Do I think of myself as the small debtor or the large one?

4. The Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:4–15)

The story: A farmer scatters seed. Some falls on the path and is eaten by birds, some on rock and withers, some among thorns and is choked, and some on good soil and yields a hundredfold. Jesus explains that the seed is the word of God and the soils are the hearts that hear it.

What it means: God's word is generous and is scattered everywhere. What changes the harvest is the soil. Luke says the good soil is those who "hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance."

Sit with this: What thorns are crowding the word in my life right now?

5. The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37) ★

The story: A lawyer asks, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus tells of a man beaten by robbers on the road to Jericho. A priest and a Levite pass by. A Samaritan, an enemy in the eyes of Jesus' listeners, stops, bandages his wounds, takes him to an inn, and pays for his care.

What it means: Jesus flips the question. The lawyer wanted to know who qualifies as his neighbor. Jesus asks who acted like one. The hero is the person the audience least wanted to admire. "Go and do likewise."

Sit with this: Who is the "Samaritan" I would least like to learn from?

Using yellow, blues, and browns, Vincent van Gogh shows the Samaritan hoisting the injured man onto his horse while 2 people who could have helped walk away in the distance. — Van Gogh’s *The Good Samaritan (after Lecroix)”* shows 2 people walking away and the Samaritan hoisting the injured man onto his horse.

6. The Parable of the Friend at Midnight (Luke 11:5–8) ★

The story: Right after teaching the Lord's Prayer, Jesus describes a man who knocks on a friend's door at midnight to borrow bread for an unexpected guest. The friend is already in bed, but he gets up and gives what is needed because of the man's "persistence."

What it means: If a sleepy neighbor will help, how much more will God? Jesus follows with "Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you" (11:9). Prayer is not bothering God.

Sit with this: What have I stopped asking God for because I assumed I was a bother?

7. The Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:16–21) ★

The story: A man asks Jesus to settle an inheritance dispute. Jesus answers with a story about a rich farmer whose harvest is so large he plans to tear down his barns and build bigger ones, then "relax, eat, drink, be merry." God says, "You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you."

What it means: "One's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions" (12:15). Notice the farmer talks only to himself; "I," "my," and "myself" fill his speech. He is rich in things and poor toward God.

Sit with this: What am I building bigger barns for?

8. The Parable of the Watchful Servants (Luke 12:35–40)

The story: Servants wait up, dressed and with lamps lit, for their master to return from a wedding banquet. When he arrives and finds them ready, he does something astonishing: he puts on an apron, seats them at the table, and serves them.

What it means: Be ready, because "the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour." But notice the surprise: the master rewards faithful servants by serving them. That is a picture of Jesus himself.

Sit with this: What would "keeping my lamp lit" look like this week?

Read more: Be Watchful (Luke 12:35–48)

9. The Parable of the Faithful and Wise Manager (Luke 12:42–48)

The story: A master puts a manager in charge of feeding his household while he is away. If the manager is found doing his job when the master returns, he is promoted. If he says, "My master is delayed," and starts beating the servants and getting drunk, he is punished.

What it means: Peter asks whether this parable is for the disciples or for everyone. Jesus' answer is aimed at leaders: "From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required" (12:48). Waiting for Jesus means caring well for the people entrusted to us.

Sit with this: Who has God put in my care, and how am I treating them?

Read more: Be Watchful (Luke 12:35–48)

10. The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree (Luke 13:6–9) ★

The story: A landowner has looked for figs on his tree for three years and found none. "Cut it down!" he says. But the gardener pleads, "Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it."

What it means: Jesus has just called his listeners to repent (13:1–5). The parable carries both warning and mercy. Time is not unlimited, but God is patient, and the gardener is not done working. Many hear Jesus himself in the gardener's voice.

Sit with this: What would "one more year" of tending look like in my life?

Read more: Repent or Perish (Luke 13:1–9)

11. The Parable of the Mustard Seed (Luke 13:18–19)

The story: The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed that someone sowed in a garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.

What it means: God's kingdom starts small and almost invisible, then grows into something that shelters others. The birds in its branches may hint at the nations finding a home in God's kingdom.

Sit with this: What small faithfulness am I tempted to dismiss?

12. The Parable of the Yeast (Luke 13:20–21)

The story: The kingdom of God is like yeast that a woman mixed into three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.

What it means: Three measures of flour is roughly fifty pounds, enough bread for a crowd. The kingdom works quietly and from the inside, and it ends up changing everything. Jesus pairs a man's work (the mustard seed) with a woman's (the yeast), a pattern Luke loves.

Sit with this: Where might God be working quietly in a place I've given up on?

13. The Parable of the Narrow Door (Luke 13:22–30)

The story: Someone asks, "Lord, will only a few be saved?" Jesus answers, "Strive to enter through the narrow door." Once the owner shuts the door, those outside will knock and say, "We ate and drank with you," but he will not know them.

What it means: Jesus turns a speculative question into a personal one. Familiarity with Jesus is not the same as following him. And the ending is a reversal: people will come "from east and west, from north and south" to the feast, and "some are last who will be first."

Sit with this: Am I close to Jesus, or just close to things about Jesus?

Read more: The Narrow Door (Luke 13:22–30)

14. The Parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14:15–24)

The story: A man prepares a great dinner, but the invited guests all make excuses: a field, some oxen, a new marriage. So he sends his servant into the streets for "the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame," and then to the roads and lanes, "so that my house may be filled."

What it means: God's table will be full, and the people who end up at it are not the ones who expected to be there. The excuses are ordinary, even reasonable. That is the warning.

Sit with this: What reasonable excuse might be keeping me from God's invitation?

15. The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:3–7)

The story: Religious leaders grumble that Jesus "welcomes sinners and eats with them." Jesus asks which of them, having a hundred sheep and losing one, would not leave the ninety-nine to search until he finds it, and then carry it home on his shoulders rejoicing.

What it means: God goes looking. The one lost sheep matters enough to search for, and finding it is cause for a party: "there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents."

Sit with this: When have I been the one sheep God came looking for?

16. The Parable of the Lost Coin (Luke 15:8–10) ★

The story: A woman with ten silver coins loses one. She lights a lamp, sweeps the house, and searches carefully until she finds it. Then she calls her friends and neighbors: "Rejoice with me."

What it means: In this parable God is pictured as a woman searching her house. The coin did nothing to be found; the searcher did all the work. Each lost person has that kind of value to God.

Sit with this: Who in my life might God be sweeping the house to find?

17. The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32) ★

The story: A younger son demands his inheritance, leaves home, and wastes it all. Starving and feeding pigs, he "came to himself" and heads home to beg for a servant's job. While he is still far off, his father sees him, runs to him, embraces him, and throws a feast. The older brother, who never left, refuses to come in.

What it means: This is the third "lost" story in Luke 15, and the most personal. The father's running would have shocked Jesus' listeners; dignified men did not run. Grace does not wait for the speech to finish. And the story ends with a question left open: will the older brother come to the party? Jesus told it to people who resembled him.

Sit with this: Am I more like the younger son, the older son, or the father right now?

Rembrandt uses reds and oranges to create a solemn atmosphere as the prodigal son returns and kneels before his father asking for forgiveness. — Rembrandt’s *The Return of the Prodigal Son* shows the dad’s embrace and the son’s sorrow.

18. The Parable of the Shrewd Manager (Luke 16:1–13) ★

The story: A manager about to be fired for wasting his master's property calls in his master's debtors and cuts their bills, so they will welcome him later. Surprisingly, the master commends him for acting shrewdly.

What it means: This is one of Jesus' most puzzling parables. Jesus is not praising dishonesty. He is praising foresight: if worldly people plan this carefully for their future, how much more should God's people use money for eternal things? "You cannot serve God and wealth" (16:13).

Sit with this: If my bank statement were a sermon, what would it preach?

19. The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31) ★

The story: A rich man feasts every day while a poor man named Lazarus lies at his gate, covered with sores. Both die. Lazarus is carried to Abraham's side; the rich man is in torment. He begs Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his brothers. Abraham answers, "If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead."

What it means: It is the only parable in which Jesus gives a character a name, and he gives it to the poor man, not the rich one. The rich man's sin is not wealth itself but not seeing the person at his gate.

Sit with this: Who is lying at my gate that I have learned not to see?

20. The Parable of the Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1–8) ★

The story: Luke tells us the point up front: Jesus told this parable about "their need to pray always and not to lose heart." A widow keeps coming to an unjust judge demanding justice. He finally gives in, not because he cares, but because she wears him out.

What it means: God is not like the judge. If even an unjust judge gives in, "will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night?" The widow is a model of faith that refuses to quit.

Sit with this: What prayer have I stopped praying because I lost heart?

21. The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9–14) ★

The story: Two men go to the temple to pray. The Pharisee thanks God that he is not like other people and lists his fasting and tithing. The tax collector stands far off, will not look up, beats his breast, and prays, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"

What it means: Jesus says the tax collector, not the Pharisee, went home justified. "All who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted." God is moved by honest need, not by a résumé. See also Bible Verses About Humility.

Sit with this: Do I ever pray by comparing myself to someone else?

22. The Parable of the Ten Minas (Luke 19:11–27)

The story: A nobleman leaves to receive a kingdom and gives each of ten servants a mina, about three months' wages, telling them, "Do business with these until I come back." When he returns, two servants have multiplied their money and are rewarded. One hid his mina out of fear and loses it.

What it means: Jesus tells this as he nears Jerusalem, because people "supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately." The kingdom will take time, and in the meantime disciples are to put what they've been given to work. Fear, not failure, is what the master condemns.

Sit with this: What gift am I burying because I'm afraid of getting it wrong?

23. The Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Luke 20:9–19)

The story: A man plants a vineyard and leases it to tenants. When he sends servants to collect his share, the tenants beat them and send them away empty. Finally he sends his "beloved son." The tenants kill him to seize the inheritance.

What it means: Told in the temple during Jesus' last week, the parable is aimed at the religious leaders, and they know it (20:19). The vineyard is Israel (Isaiah 5:1–7), the servants are the prophets, and the son is Jesus. Jesus is predicting his own death.

Sit with this: Where am I treating what belongs to God as if it were mine?

24. The Parable of the Fig Tree (Luke 21:29–33)

The story: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near." In the same way, Jesus says, when you see the signs he has described, "you know that the kingdom of God is near."

What it means: Believers are called to pay attention, not to panic. The signs point to God's coming kingdom, and Jesus' promise is firm: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away."

Sit with this: What signs of God's kingdom am I noticing in my season of life?

Luke's Parables by Theme
ThemeParables (by number)What they teach

Lost and found#15, #16, #17God searches for the lost and celebrates when they come home
Money and possessions#7, #18, #19, #22Wealth is dangerous when it blinds us to God and our neighbor
Prayer#6, #20, #21Pray boldly, keep praying, and pray honestly
Outsiders and reversal#5, #13, #14, #21The unexpected people end up at God's table
Forgiveness#3, #17Those forgiven much love much
Readiness#8, #9, #24Live faithfully while waiting for the Lord
The kingdom's growth#4, #11, #12God's kingdom starts small and grows past all expectation
Hearing and doing#2, #4Hearing Jesus must lead to following him
Judgment and patience#10, #23God is patient, but time is not unlimited
Something new#1Jesus brings a new way that cannot be squeezed into old forms

What makes Luke's parables distinctive

Compared with Matthew and Mark, Luke's parables keep returning to a few themes:

God's heart for outsiders: Samaritans, tax collectors, prodigals, beggars, and widows are the heroes.
Warnings to the wealthy: the rich fool, the rich man and Lazarus, and the shrewd manager all deal with money.
Joy over repentance: all three parables in Luke 15 end in a celebration.
Prayer: Luke alone has the friend at midnight and the persistent widow.
Women in the story: Luke pairs men and women, like the shepherd and the woman with the lost coin, and the mustard seed and the yeast. See The Women Who Followed Jesus (Luke 8:1–3).

Many of these stories come during Luke's long "travel narrative" (Luke 9:51–19:27), as Jesus journeys to Jerusalem. The parables are teaching for disciples on the way to the cross. See Book of Luke Themes.

FAQ: Parables in Luke

How many parables are in Luke? This list counts 24. Counts vary because scholars define "parable" differently, and some lists add short sayings like the tower builder and the king going to war (Luke 14:28–32). By most counts Luke has more parables than any other Gospel.

What parables are only in Luke? Eleven on this list: the Two Debtors, the Good Samaritan, the Friend at Midnight, the Rich Fool, the Barren Fig Tree, the Lost Coin, the Prodigal Son, the Shrewd Manager, the Rich Man and Lazarus, the Persistent Widow, and the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.

What is the first parable in Luke? New Wine and Old Wineskins (Luke 5:36–39), which Jesus tells when critics ask why his disciples do not fast. The first parable found only in Luke is the Two Debtors (Luke 7:41–43).

What is the most famous parable in Luke? The Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan are probably the two best-known stories Jesus ever told, and both appear only in Luke.

Why did Jesus teach in parables? Parables draw listeners in and then turn the story on them. Jesus said they reveal the kingdom to those willing to hear and stay hidden from those who are not (Luke 8:10). A parable does not just inform; it asks, "Where are you in this story?" See The Purpose of the Parables (Luke 8:9–15).

How are Luke's parables different from Matthew's and Mark's? Luke's parables focus more on outsiders, money, prayer, and joy over repentance. Matthew's emphasize judgment and the kingdom of heaven; Mark's are fewer and shorter. Compare The 8 Parables in the Gospel of Mark.

Why is the Good Samaritan so famous? It makes a hated outsider the model of love for God and neighbor. Its last line, "Go and do likewise" (Luke 10:37), has challenged prejudice in every generation.

Works Consulted

For this work, I relied on a few resources that helped bring clarity and context to Luke's storytelling. Joel B. Green's The Gospel of Luke (NICNT) offered rich commentary on the theological weight behind each parable. The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Volume 10 provided reliable exegesis and background that anchored the text historically. And The Story Luke Tells by Justo González gave me a wider lens for appreciating how these parables fit into Luke's overall witness to Jesus and his kingdom. Links are affiliate.

Keep Studying

In Luke

Parables and miracles in the other Gospels

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Jason Elder

https://www.pastorjasonelder.com