Hi Kevin,
Sorry it took time to get back to you. Jesus rebuked the Pharisee who boasted before God. His actions were not humble. His actions did not show he even needed God. The tax collector, on the other hand was humble before God - his words, "God be merciful to me a sinner" are a far cry from, "God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers or even like this tax collector. (in other words: Thanking God that he is not a sinner). No one can say that they are not a sinner. If we do, we are saying that Jesus is a liar. 

Jesus said the tax collector went home justified. To be justified means being made righteous, just, holy and acceptable before God. In this parable and others in the New Testament, "justification" describes a change from the "state of sin" to the "state of grace".  The doctrine being taught by Jesus in this parable is that when we are in the state of sin and alienated from God, nothing we can do ourselves ("good deeds/works") Continued