One day, Jesus being in Solomon's porch, a scribe, one of them who made discourse to the people, drew near to him and asked some questions. Jesus answered to his questions. Then the scribe gave thanks to Jesus, and said to him, "Lord, let us go to the house of your servant, for your servant will give meat to you and to your disciples." Jesus answered, "I will come there, but you will promise to call me 'Brother', not 'Lord'." The man promised, and Jesus went to his house.

While they sat at the table, the scribe said, "O master, you said that God loves true humility. Tell us therefore what humility is, and how it can be true and false." Jesus replied, "Truly, I say to you that he who is not as a child shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

Everyone was amazed at hearing this, and one said, "Now how shall he become a child who is thirty or forty years old? Surely, this is a hard saying." Jesus answered, "As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, my words are true. I said to you that a man should be as a child, for this is the true humility. If you ask a child, 'Who has made your garments,' he will answer, 'My father.' If you ask him, 'Who is the owner of the house where you live,' he will say, 'My father.' If you say, 'Who gives you food,' he will reply, 'My father.' If you say, 'Who has taught you to walk and to speak,' he will answer, 'My father.' However, if you say, 'Who has broken your forehead, for that you have your forehead so bound up,' he will answer, 'I fell down, and so did I break my head.' If you say, 'Now why did you fall down,' he will answer, 'Do you not see that I am little, so that I have not the strength to walk and run like a grown man? Therefore, my father must take me by the hand if I would walk firmly. However, in order that I might learn to walk well, my father left me for a little space, and I wishing to run, fell down.' If you ask, 'And what said your father,' he will answer, 'Now why did you not walk quite slowly? See that in future do not leave my side.'"

Then Jesus said, "He who in truth of heart recognizes God as the author of all good, and himself as the author of sin, will be truly humble. Whoever speaks with the tongue as the child speaks, and contradicts the same in act; assuredly, he has false humility and true pride.

True humility is a lowliness of the soul whereby man knows himself in truth; but false humility is a mist from hell which so darkens the understanding of the soul that what a man ought to ascribe to himself, he ascribes to God, and what he ought to ascribe to God, he ascribes to himself. Thus, the man of false humility will say that he is a grievous sinner, but when one tells him that he is a sinner he will wax wroth against him, and will persecute him."