The simile, on the other hand, plainly declares itself to be a figure of speech. For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly but inside are full of dead men's bones. Like whitewashed tombs. Often the Bible does more than simply say that certain language is figurative. It interprets the figure.
Parables are like that.
Some are only identified as parables, leaving it to the disciple to discern the meaning. In other cases, the meaning of the various figures is explained. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one . The New Testament provides insight. Dead in sin .