Jesus paints a vivid story of two men at prayer.
Contempt is more than being mean-minded.
It springs from the assumption that one is qualified to sit in the seat of judgment and to ascertain who is good and just. Jesus' parable speaks about the nature of prayer and our relationship with God. It does this by contrasting two very different attitudes towards prayer. The Pharisee, who represented those who take pride in their religious practices, exalted himself at the expense of others. His prayer consisted of prideful boasts of what he did and of disdain for those he despised.