Welcome to The Parables website
Our aim is to explore and apply a number of the well-known parables found in the Gospel of Luke . We explore each parable in its original setting and then seek to apply its teaching to our current situation in the world of today.
These are copyright chapters from a forthcoming book for group or personal study but are made widely available on this website for the help and encouragement of God’s people world-wide.
Latest study on the Parable of the Budding Tree
We offer both the written text and the matching spoken podcast to help those whose native language is not English. Do tell us how you find them.
The author, John Belham, gratefully acknowledges his debt to the many godly commentators who, over the centuries, have mined the treasures of these parables.
Do visit our sister site exploring and applying the Lord’s Prayer, at www.lords-prayer.co.uk
As mentioned above, the book of parables has been published (January 2022) and is now directly or available through Amazon and book sellers world-wide.
Exploring and Applying the Parables of Jesus found in the Gospel of Luke
John Belham, published by Parva Press
Paperback, 403 pages ISBN 978-0-9537489-2-1, £13.99.
Epub, ISBN 978-0-9537489-3-8
The parables of Jesus recorded by Luke, explored in their setting, with their encouragements and their sometimes sharp application to ourselves and our churches today.
This is a book to read if you want to gain a deeper understanding of the parables taught by Jesus.
Dr. John Clements, Pastor of The Old Meeting House Congregational Church and author of Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth.
I really appreciated the careful and wide application of these texts.
The Rev. Martin Young, Vicar of St Andrew’s Church, Norwich
and Chaplain to Norwich University of the Arts.
See contents
- Introduction
- Alphabetical list of the parables explored
- The Sower
- The Scribes and Pharisees – a background note
- The Lamp put on a Stand
- The Good Samaritan
- The Friend at Midnight and the Good Gifts of a Father
- The Rich Farmer, or, the Rich Fool
- The Faithful Servants
- The Barren Fig Tree
- The Mustard Seed, or, the Mustard Tree
- The Narrow Door that will be closed
- The Wedding Feast and the Great Banquet
- The Tower, the King going to War, the Salt
- The Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, the Prodigal Son and his Elder Brother
- The Dishonest Manager
- The Rich Man and Lazarus
- The Widow and the Judge
- The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
- The Ten Pounds, or Ten Minas
- The Budding Fig Tree and all the trees coming into leaf
- The Vineyard Tenants
- Three striking sayings or short parables spoken by Jesus at the very beginning of his ministry
- The New Patch and the New Wine
- The Blind leading the Blind
- The Wise and the Foolish Builders
- Principal Sources
- The cover images, the author, and our other publications
For those with ears to hear, Jesus’ parables speak as relevantly today as they did 2000 years ago. If you are willing to be stirred and challenged – as the first hearers were – read on. The author invites you to an exploration of each parable followed by questions for reflection or discussion.
Having had the privilege of reading and reviewing Dr Belham’s earlier book “Exploring and Applying the Parables of Jesus found in the Gospel of Luke” (Parva Press, 2022), I welcomed the repeated pleasure of reviewing this work. As before, this is a carefully-researched, penetrating and well-written exposition of the Parables of Christ in Matthew and Mark. Again, it is a much-needed counterblast to any superficial tendency to view the parables as entertaining stories. The book highlights the demanding and costly nature of Christian discipleship. Readers are reminded that the Christian life is challenging as well as comforting. According to Dr Belham’s luminous explanations and searching applications, Christ the parable-teller confronts us with duties as well as delights. Valuable insights and challenging lessons serve to remind us that Jesus is Lord and King as well as Friend and Saviour. In short, here is authentic Christianity.
Many in today’s churches are unlikely to relish this work, but those who mean business with God will welcome and treasure its contents. Although the author denies he has produced ‘an academic text’, it might be dismissed as such by lazy readers in a dumb-down day. That said, if reports of a growing Christian revival, among young people especially, are to be believed, Dr Belham’s books provide rich and inspiring teaching for those with an appetite to explore the pure fountain of our Saviour’s message. Diligent exploration will be richly rewarded. I cannot commend this second excellent book too highly.
The Revd Dr Alan C. Clifford
