However, if you ask Protestants about it, they always want to dismiss it as a parable, because it completely invalidates their "sola fide" invention.
By the way, like most Catholics, I used to think that the Protestants generally have a good grasp on the scripture, till I discovered this cavalier attitude to all but isolated prooftexts. In one of his sermons Luther admitted to the parables being a complete mystery that we should not attempt to understand. Not surprisingly, it was the parable of the rich man asking how to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, and Christ answering, essentially, "by your works of love and dedication".