PARABLES (20)

1. Parable of New Cloth on an Old Coat (Matthew 9:16; Mark 2:21; Luke 5:36)

New cloth on an old coat,
A patch that won't quite fit,
The old coat is a symbol,
Of traditions long held dear,
The new cloth represents change.
Christ's parable tells a story,
Of how we must adapt,
To the new world that surrounds us.
So, let us be like the new cloth,
Flexible and strong,
Ready to embrace the future.
Old ways may not always suffice.

2. New Wine in Old Wineskins (Mark 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37–38)

New wine in old wineskins,
A parable Christ did tell,
Of the danger that ensues,
When new ways we try to quell.

The old wineskins are rigid,
And cannot bend or expand,
So when new wine is poured in,
They burst and cannot withstand.

God is always doing a new thing,
And invites us to be part of it too,
But we must be willing to let go of the past,
And open our hearts to what is new.


3. The Lamp on a Stand (Matthew 5:14–15; Mark 4:21–22; Luke 8:16, 11:33)

In darkness and in night so deep,
The world lay lost in endless sleep,
No hope, no light, no guiding star,
But then a lamp held high for all to see,
A beacon shining brilliantly.

The Master spoke of lamps and stands and wicks and oil,
And how we all must shine our light,
To guide the lost back to the right.
Let us be the lamps that shine,
In this world of darkness deep.

4. The Wise and Foolish Builders (Matthew 7:24–27; Luke 6:47–49)

On a foundation firm and true
A wise man built his house anew
With careful planning and great skill
He laid the stones with careful will.

When the winds and rains did come
The house stood strong, and firm,
For it was built on solid ground
And its walls did not tumble down.

But the foolish man built on sand
With no thought for what was planned
He built his house with careless haste
And thought not what storms would waste.

When the winds and rains did blow
His house was shaken to and fro
For it was built on shifting sand
And its walls could not withstand.

Let us build our lives on Christ Jesus -
A foundation so firm and so true.


5. The Moneylender Forgiving Unequal Debts (Luke 7:41–43)

In a parable told by Christ
A moneylender forgave debts unequal :
One owed much, the other a little
But both received mercy in equal measure.

Christ teaches us a lesson
Of forgiveness, mercy, and grace.
No matter the debt, big or small 
His love for us will always prevail.

6. The Rich Fool Building His Bigger Barns (Luke 12:16–21)

A man with land and wealth and gold
Built bigger barns to store his crop,
And deemed himself secure on top.

But in the night, his life was sought,
And riches could not save his soul,
For death had taken full control.

Oh, foolish man, who lived in pride,
And never once looked deep inside.
His heart was filled with greed and lust,
And in the end, his wealth was dust.



7. The Servants Must Remain Watchful (Mark 13:35–37; Luke 12:35–40)

The Master warns, "Stay watchful, my servants,"
For no one knows when the time arrives,
And only those prepared will stay alive.
Like the watchmen, let's be vigilant and attentive.

Let us not be caught sleeping or dozing,
But rather, let our eyes be fixed on Christ,
The one who died for us, and rose again.


8. The Wise and Foolish Servants (Matthew 24:45–51; Luke 12:42–48)

In Christ's parable, a master went away
And left his servants with tasks to obey
One wise and faithful, the other a fool.

The wise servant worked with diligence
He fed the others, gave them their share
And kept the house in good repair.

The foolish servant, however, did wait
Thinking his master's return was late
He lived for pleasure, and ignored his duties.

When the master came, the wise servant smiled;
The master praised and gave him greater responsibility.
But the foolish was punished severely for his disdain.

So let us be wise, and work with care,
Use our talents, and show we share.
When our Master comes, we must be doing His will, obediently.

9. The Unfruitful Fig Tree (Luke 13:6–9)

A fig tree stood in the vineyard wide,
Its branches spread out far and wide,
Though the seasons came and went,
No fruit it bore, its branches bent.

The owner saw no fruit, just leaves so fair,
He said, "Why should this tree take space,
And bear no fruit in all this place?"

The gardener said, "Let it be, I have a plan,
I'll dig around it, give it air,
And fertilizer, with tender care.
For one more year, let it remain."

The tree was given one more chance,
And if it failed, it would be clear,
That it had no purpose being there.

Let us heed the lesson of the fig tree,
And use our time and talents fruitfully,
For if we waste our days on earth,
Our lives will be of little worth.

10. The Parable of the Soils (Matthew 13:3–23; Mark 4:1–20; Luke 8:4–15

The Parable of the Soils, told by Christ
To teach what we ought to do.
A farmer went out to sow his seed,
But the soils were different, indeed.

The first was rocky, with shallow ground,
The seed sprang up, but soon withered down.
The second had thorns, that choked the plant,
And it could not grow, nor could it sprout.

The third soil was good, the seed took root,
And grew into a harvest, bearing fruit.
But the fourth soil was the best of all,
The seed took root, and grew strong and tall.

Christ said, "He who has ears, let him hear,
The seed is the Word, the soils are the hearts,
The rocky soil is like the one who hears,
But has no root, and soon forgets.

The thorny soil is like the one who hears,
But the cares of this world, his spirit dampens.
The good soil is like the one who hears,
And receives the Word, removing his fears.

The best soil is like the one who hears,
And bears fruit, sixtyfold and hundredfold .
So, let us be like the good soil,
And bear fruit, for all to view.



11. Parable of Weeds among Good Plants

In fields of green and gold,
The wheat and tares did grow,
One sown by God's own hand,
The other by a foe.

The farmer saw the weeds,
Among the good plants' blades,
"Shall we pluck them out?" he asked,
But the master said, "Wait."

"Let them both grow together,
Until the time is due,
For if you pull the weeds now,
The wheat will suffer too."

And so they both grew tall,
The good plants and the bad,
But when the harvest came,
The weeds were burned in fire.

In our world, evil and good are intertwined.
Christ has come to separate the chaff,
And set the wheat apart.

12. Parable  of the Growing Seed (Mark 4:26–29)

In soil of earth, a seed is sown,
It hides beneath the ground, no sight or sound.
But deep inside, a spark ignites,
A tiny shoot, then a tender stem pushes through.

Through rain and sun, it grows and grows,
Its leaves and branches
towards the sky.

And soon enough, the harvest comes,
The farmer reaps, the work is done,
He thanks the Lord for what he's gained,
And plants again, to start again.

So let us learn from this occurrence
Patience, faith, and hope,
For though we may not see the growth,
Our faith in Christ, like a seed,  will sprout and grow.


13. Parable of Mustard Seed

From tiny seeds can mighty things arise,
A truth that Christ did once impart,
Though small,  mustard holds great potential,
When it grows, its mighty branches shelter birds.

Like the mustard seed, our small acts can make a mighty start,
A kind word, a helping hand, a prayer,
Can blossom into a life of love and hope.



14. Yeast Parable
(Matthew 13:31–32)

Within the parables of Christ,
A story of yeast he did recite,
Of how a woman, who toils and strives,
Mixed in the yeast and kneaded the dough.

The yeast grew and the dough did rise,
Expanding in size, a little leaven.
The kingdom of heaven is like this yeast,
Small but growing and spreading, a power unseen.

So let us be like that little yeast,
Growing in faith, and spreading peace,
Though we be small, and feel the least,
Through our love, God's glory can increase.

15. Hidden Treasure (Matthew  13:44)

From the lips of Christ, a tale did flow,
Of a hidden gem, a radiant glow,
Buried deep within the earthly ground,
A treasure so precious, waiting to be found.

A man, in fields he wandered wide,
Stumbled upon the treasure,
With joy ignited, his soul ablaze,
He sold all he had, to get the hidden treasure.

In this parable, a truth resides,
That treasures true, in Christ abounds,
In Him is the hidden treasure, more valuable than silver or gold,

May we surrender all in pursuit,
Of Christ's love, the ultimate loot.



16. Christ's Valuable Pearl
(Matthew  13:45, 46)

In Matthew's Gospel, a parable is told
Of a merchant seeking pearls of purest gold
He searched high and low, far and wide
Until one day, a treasure he spied

A pearl of great price, worth more than all
The merchant's heart leapt and danced,
He sold all he had, to make it his own
For the pearl was precious, a treasure unknown

So too is the kingdom of heaven,
A treasure beyond measure, worth more than bread
It's like a pearl, valuable and rare
A priceless gem, beyond compare

The pearl of great price, is Christ Himself.
So let us seek Him, with all our heart
For in His love, we find our worth
A treasure more valuable than anything on earth.

17. Fishing Net
(Matthew 13:47–50)

In the sea of life, a net is cast
To catch all fish, good and bad
The net is wide, the catch is vast
And the fishermen sort through the haul
The good are kept, the bad are thrown.
So too will be the fate of all
The righteous will stand, the wicked will fall.
The day of reckoning will surely come.

So let us strive to be good
And live our lives as we should.


18. The Owner of a House (Matthew 13:52)

A master, wise and full of grace,
Built a house in a favoured place.
Within its walls, a precious hoard,
Of wisdom, truth, and love was stored.
And from this treasury divine,
The master shared his gifts freely.

And the house became a school,
Where hearts were shaped and minds were ruled.
Each day, the teachers shared their best,
To help the seekers on their quest.


So let us be both wise and true,
And in our hearts, let truth reside,
With treasures of our souls and minds,
May we bless the world in varied ways.

19. Lost Sheep

Once upon a time, in a far-off land,
A shepherd had a flock that he tended carefully.
One day, as he counted, he found to his dread,
That one little lamb had wandered far away.

He called and called, but the lamb was not found,
And the shepherd grew weary, running fast.
But he knew in his heart that he must not give in,
For that one little lamb was so precious to him.

At last, as the sun began to descend,
He heard a faint bleating, the lamb was safe,
And he gathered the lamb, cradled it close,
And carried it home, where it was loved the most.

So let us remember, in our journey of life,
We too may wander, and be lost in the throng.
But the Good Shepherd is with us, and He will not cease,
Until each and every one of us is safely at peace.


20. Serve with all heart.
The Master and His Servant (Luke 17:7–10)

The Master had a servant, who worked hard all day,
Plowing and tending the sheep, without any delay.
And when the day was done, he did not rest or shirk,
But instead he served his Master, with all his heart and soul.

And the Master saw his servant, and was pleased,
He said, "My faithful servant, you've served me like a son.
But you should not be proud, for you have only done what's right,
And all that you have done, was only in my sight."

And so let us learn from this parable of old,
To serve our Master, with a heart that is bold.
To do what is right, and to serve with all our might,
For in serving our Master, we find our greatest delight.