The reason the Pharisees were often the target of Jesus' severest rebukes was that they were sinners in denial.  Jesus came to save sinners; and many, though not all, of the Pharisees considered themselves to have already arrived spiritually.  Consequently, they thought that they didn't need to be saved.  In fact, they resented the implication.  This attitude was not exclusive to the Pharisees.  It's still around these days.  Jesus insisted that BEING must precede DOING (Matthew 23:23).  People see the outside, so we are too prone to spend our time polishing the outside.  But when we understand that in God's eyes it's the heart that matters, we have no place to turn but to Him.