Then ¹  Jesus ²  told them a parable to show them they should always ³  pray and not lose heart. ⁴ 

Then ¹  he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the other trees. ² 

He also asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to present it?

Then I said, “O sovereign Lord! They are saying of me, ‘Does he not simply speak in eloquent figures of speech?’”

I spoke to the prophets; I myself revealed many visions; ¹  I spoke in parables ²  through ³  the prophets.”

This fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet: ¹  “I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.” ² 

He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately he explained everything to his own disciples.

For this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand.

He presented them with another parable: ¹  “The kingdom of heaven is like a person who sowed good seed in his field.

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

So ¹  he called them and spoke to them in parables: ²  “How can Satan cast out Satan?

He said to them, “The secret ¹  of the kingdom of God has been given ²  to you. But to those outside, everything is in parables,

Now ¹  they wanted to arrest him (but they feared the crowd), because they realized that he told this parable against them. So ²  they left him and went away. ³ 

While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus ¹  from one town after another, ²  he spoke to them ³  in a parable:

Then ¹  Jesus ²  told this parable: “A man had a fig tree ³  planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none.

Then ¹  when Jesus ²  noticed how the guests ³  chose the places of honor, ⁴  he told them a parable. He said to them,

Jesus ¹  also told this parable to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down ²  on everyone else.

While the people were listening to these things, Jesus ¹  proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, ²  and because they thought ³  that the kingdom of God ⁴  was going to ⁵  appear immediately.

Then ¹  he began to tell the people this parable: “A man ²  planted a vineyard, ³  leased it to tenant farmers, ⁴  and went on a journey for a long time.

Then ¹  the experts in the law ²  and the chief priests wanted to arrest ³  him that very hour, because they realized he had told this parable against them. But ⁴  they were afraid of the people.