In homily 2 of On Repentance and Almsgiving, John Chrysostom, commenting on the publican and the Pharisee, wrote that:
By being humble, the publican became righteous (εγενετο δικαιος).
The pharisee descended from the temple utterly deprived of righteousness; and
the publican came down having acquired righteousness. Words prevailed over
deeds. For the pharisee totally ruined the righteousness of his deeds, and the
publican acquired righteousness with the word of humility. Indeed, the words of
the pharisee were not humility, because humility occurs when someone great
humbles himself. The words of the publican were not humility either, but truth.
His words were true: he was a sinner. (John
Chrysostom, On Repentance and Almsgiving [trans. Gus George Christo; The
Fathers of the Church 96; Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America
Press, 1998], 25)
Here is the relevant portion from PG 49:290:
The translator, Christo, has
this helpful clarificatory note:
Chrysostom is not contradicting himself when he says
clearly in one instance that the publican exhibited humility and, immediately afterwards,
that he demonstrated not humility but truth; when someone is truthful about his
sinfulness before God and sincerely confesses his depravity to Him, only then
is he truly humble, contrite, and acceptable. (On Repentance and Almsgiving,
25 n. 27)
