Much has changed in the more than two decades since the first edition of this book appeared. Parable scholarship continues to be a dynamic area of New Testament research, and a number of important studies were published and significant developments have occurred during those years. Jesus’s parables, these simple but profound stories, continue to challenge us, and, even after many readings, continue to reveal new insights. Not surprisingly, parable scholarship remains fascinating, and this book explores three distinct but interrelated components of parable interpretation, †