Bible Verses About Parables

Beforehand, he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Conduct business with this until I return,’ he said.

But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’

When he returned from procuring his kingship, he summoned the servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what each one had earned.

The first servant came forward and said, ‘Master, your mina has produced ten more minas.’

His master replied, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you shall have authority over ten cities.’

The second servant came and said, ‘Master, your mina has made five minas.’

And to this one he said, ‘You shall have authority over five cities.’

Then another servant came and said, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have laid away in a piece of cloth.

For I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man. You withdraw what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow.’

His master replied, ‘You wicked servant, I will judge you by your own words. So you knew that I am a harsh man, withdrawing what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?

Why then did you not deposit my money in the bank, and upon my return I could have collected it with interest?’

Then he told those standing by, ‘Take the mina from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’

‘Master,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’

He replied, ‘I tell you that everyone who has will be given more; but the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

And these enemies of mine who were unwilling for me to rule over them, bring them here and slay them in front of me.’”

“Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.

But the one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.

The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen for his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will flee from him because they do not recognize his voice.”

Jesus spoke to them using this illustration, but they did not understand what He was telling them.

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard.

He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.

You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.