"A parable is a picturesque figure of language in which an analogy refers to a similar but different reality. ...if one includes every simile, proverb, and aphorism that Jesus taught, then almost everything Jesus said falls into the category of parable. ... Although the parables are drawn from daily life, they do not necessarily portray normal, everyday actions. On the contrary, at times one encounters both exaggeration and unexpected behavior." Jesus often employed hyperbole as an attention-getter. To interpret a parable it is helpful to keep in mind: (1) The main emphasis of a parable is probably located at the end. (2) Whatever is within quotation marks is especially important. (3) Usually the most space is given to the main point of the parable. (4) Try to understand its meaning in its original setting; Jesus did not address his parables to 21st Century Americans but to a first-century Jewish audience. (5) Attempt to understand how the Gospel writers interpreted and utilized Jesus' parables. [Source: "Parables" in the Oxford Companion to the Bible, pp. 567ff.]