A sample Gospel harmony for the parables based on the list of key episodes in the Canonical Gospels is presented in the table below. For the sake of consistency, this table is automatically sub-selected from the main harmony table in the Gospel harmony article, based on the list of key episodes in the Canonical Gospels. Usually, no parables are associated with the Gospel of John, just allegories.
A number of parables have parallels in non-canonical gospels, the Didache, and the letters of Apostolic Fathers . However, given that the non-canonical gospels generally have no time sequence, this table is not a Gospel harmony.
Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree (Luke 13:6–9) written in the New Testament is a parable of Jesus. It is a parable about a fig tree which does not produce fruit, unlike the parable of the budding fig tree.
Then he told this parable:
The owner of the vineyard represents God. The fig tree is a symbol for Jerusalem (and also for Jesus's church). The vineyard where the tree was planted is the earth. The tree was meant to bear the good fruit of the Holy Spirit and the gardener (vinedresser) is Jesus. Fig trees are often planted in vineyards.
The parable indicates Jesus is giving his hearers one last chance to repent their sins. "These three years" refers to the period of his ministry on earth. The parable is connected to the miracle of cursing the fig tree. Richard Whately commented that this parable "is one which our Lord may be said to have put before his hearers twice; once in words, once in action."
Parable of the Budding Fig Tree
The Parable of the Budding Fig Tree is a parable of Jesus. It is written in the New Testament in Matthew 24:32-35, Mark 13:28-31 and Luke 21:29-33. The parable compares the Kingdom of God with a budding fig tree, the opposite of the barren fig tree.
He told them this parable:
This eschatological parable follows the Olivet discourse in Luke 21:5-28 (and Matthew 24 and Mark 13). New buds appear on the branches of trees when Winter ends. The buds open into blossoms and green leaves in Spring. Fruit starts to appear as Summer arrives. When the signs of the end of the age start to happen, it means Jesus will return soon.
Counting the cost
Counting the cost is the name of a pair of parables Jesus told. The two parables are written in the New Testament in Luke 14:25-33.
Large crowds were travelling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:
The disciples of Jesus gave up everything they had for the kingdom of God, even their lives. Fidelity to "God's salvific aim" meant putting family and possessions second. Christians believe the cost of being a disciple is worth the promised rewards.
Parable of Drawing in the Net
The Parable of Drawing in the Net is a parable of Jesus written in the New Testament in Matthew 13:47–52. It is a parable about the final judgment. It is the seventh and last parable in the chapter which began with the Parable of the Sower.
The parable:
It is, like The Tares and the Wheat and The Sheep and the Goats, a parable about the final judgment. Here, the edible fish must be separated from the inedible fish after they caught with a net.
Four of his disciples were fishermen and Jesus spoke using imagery they understood. Because it is a parable about the end of the age, a modern interpretation can be considered, with the net representing the Internet. Jesus's next words about old and new treasures indicated he did have in mind a future time. At that time, "true teachers of the kingdom display the kingdom's treasure for all to see."
Parable of the Faithful Servant
The Parable of the Faithful Servant (or Parable of the Door Keeper) is a parable of Jesus written in the New Testament in Matthew 24:42-51, Mark 13:34-37, and Luke 12:35-48.
The parable:
The parable immediately precedes the Parable of the Ten Virgins in the Matthew 25. It means "be prepared and remain alert." The exact time of Jesus' Second Coming is unknown.
The bridegroom is Jesus Christ. The wedding banquet is his wedding banquet. The advice is for the church, his bride, while she waits for him. He has chosen her. "That privilege brings responsibility and that responsibility entails accountability." Priests will be judged more severely than pagans who never heard of Jesus.
Parable of the Friend at Night
The Parable of the Friend at Night (Importunate Neighbour), is a parable of Jesus written in the New Testament in Luke 11:5-8. A man refuses to help his neighbour during an emergency at midnight. His neighbour persists in asking until he changes his mind.
The parable:
Based on the Parable of the Ten Virgins, the unexpected arrival of the neighbour's guest at midnight could mean it is Jesus himself.
Jesus told this parable after he taught his disciples how to pray the Lord's Prayer.
The most famous depiction of this parable is "The Importunate Neighbour" (1895) by William Holman Hunt, kept at the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia.
Onon River
The Onon gol (Mongolian: Онон гол, Russian: Онон) is a river in Mongolia and Russia. It is 818 km long. Its watershed is 94,010 km. It starts at the Khentii Mountains, on the Eastern slopes. 298 km of the river is in Mongolia. It has a confluence (the place where two rivers join together) with the Ingoda River. When they meet, it makes the Shilka River. People believe that Genghis Khan was born near the upper Onon and he grew up there. The rivers Onon—Shilka—Amur makes one of the world's ten longest rivers (their lengths, in order: 818 km, 560 km, 2,874 km).
Entscheidungsproblem
The Entscheidungsproblem (German, "decision problem") is a famous problem of mathematics. David Hilbert formulated the problem in 1928: Is there an algorithm that will take a formal language, and a logical statement in that language, and that will output "True" or "False", depending on the truth value of the statement? The algorithm does not tell how it reaches the answer, nor prove it, as long as the answer is always correct.
In 1936 and 1937, Alonzo Church and Alan Turing showed independently, that there can be no answer to the Entscheidungsproblem. They showed that it is impossible for an algorithm to decide whether statements in arithmetic are true or false. For this reason, there can be no solution for the Entscheidungsproblem . This was proven by Alan Turings "Turing Machine" which was created in the 1930s.
Bessie Coleman
Elizabeth "Bessie" Coleman (January 26, 1892 – April 30, 1926) was the first female African American pilot ever to hold an international pilot license. She fought discrimination to follow her dream of becoming a pilot. She became a skilled barnstormer and aviation educator.
Coleman was born in Texas in 1892. Her mother was African American and her father was Native American. She had two brothers and a young sister. Her parents were sharecroppers. When Coleman was two, her family moved to Waxahachie, Texas where Bessie went to school. She loved reading and was very good at math. Her father hoped to get a job.
Coleman’s father was disturbed by the racial barriers in Texas. He believed that the family would be treated better if they moved to Indian Territory in Oklahoma.
Unable to convince his wife to accompany him, Coleman’s father left the family when she was nine. Around that time, her older brothers grew up and moved away. Coleman’s mother worked as a maid. Coleman helped take care of her younger sisters.
During the cotton harvest, everyone in the family worked in the fields to earn extra money. It was hot, boring work, and during the harvest, African American children could not go to school. Still, Coleman managed to finish all eight grades in the local school. Coleman decided that she wanted to go to college, so she saved her money. In about four years, she had enough money to begin college. A year later, she ran out of money.