One of the most striking things about the parables of Jesus is their directness of address to the audience--a feature that is attested in various traditions and thus has the ring of authenticity.

The parables of Jesus are not simply building blocks within a larger, longer argument that is to be concluded outside of the parable itself.  The parables are themselves front and center bearers of the message of Jesus.

The fact that the parables of Jesus are not used for argumentation in the sense of the "parables" of ancient philosophers, popular rhetoricians, or rabbinic masters is significant for the content of Jesus' parables.  There is very little previous learning that Jesus' hearers need to bring to the occasion beyond what is gained through life experience.

Perhaps most striking about the parables of Jesus is their ways of portraying God.  The parables are thoroughly theological.  But they do not get involved in descriptions of God's attributes or in theoretical discussions about God.  What is characteristic rather is the sense of God's intimacy and familiarity through the use of striking but common metaphors--father, king, a shepherd, the owner of a vineyard, or a woman who sweeps her house.

Characteristic of many of the parables of Jesus, not all, is the element of surprise in the way they end.

Finally, the parables of Jesus capture, combine, and make use of two major Jewish traditions: wisdom and eschatology.