There will be more joy in heaven over the tear-bathed face of a repentant sinner than over the white robes of a hundred just men.
After hearing what prison has done to Valjean, the Bishop refuses to answer pain with moral disgust. He paints a vivid picture, a tear-soaked face beside spotless white robes. That imagery makes repentance feel physical and real, not like a clean idea. The line is hopeful because it insists that change matters, even after a long fall. It also challenges the social habit of admiring the respectable more than the repaired. In the story, it is the Bishop giving Valjean a reason to believe his future is still worth something. It resonates when you are ashamed but still want a way back.