Jesus told this parable to some who thought they were righteous and had a claim on God. Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee thought he had it all together. I'm real religious and well respected, not like that tax collector over there.
Stewardship is prayer, no more and no less, and that is transformative.
The tax collector, on the other hand, lived at the bottom level of esteem and social standing in the community. I have been told that Jewish law at that time held that it was all right to deceive a robber or a tax collector. The tax collectors levied harsh taxes, far more than we complain about today, to support the hated Roman army of occupation. Jesus, therefore, shocked his hearers as he told them, This is the one, and not the Pharisee, who is made right with his God this day. I have heard that God likes sinners because, unlike those who think they don't really need God, people who know they are sinners still have room to grow.