The Pharisee thanks God that he is not like the tax collector. He is religious. Even thank God. But he doesn’t need God. His prayer revolves around himself, and he can do without God. He evaluates and condemns other people.
The tax collector, on the other hand, looks at the ground, ashamed, and says: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” He realizes that he needs God. That God makes up for his lack. Jesus says, “This man went home justified.” Because of his understanding, he became righteous before God.
Jesus ends the story with the statement: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Anyone who thinks he is so high that he does not need God’s help will one day have to see that he cannot stand before God like this. But whoever admits that he needs God’s help, God adds what he lacks. Go insight, rather than a perfect life, opens the door to a life with God. To humiliate means to stand to my need and to seek help more and more gratefully. Those who are too proud to do so, will not reach the finish line on their own.