The Repentant Sinner
Kayushchiysya greshnik
And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:42-43)
A man lived on earth for seventy years, and he lived his whole life in sin. This man fell ill and did not repent. When death came, in his last hour he wept and said: “Lord! As thou forgave the thief on the cross, forgive me!” No sooner had he spoken than his soul departed. And the soul of the sinner came to love God and believed in His mercy and came to the gates of paradise.
And the sinner began to knock and ask to be let into the kingdom of heaven.
And he heard a voice from behind the door: “What manner of man is knocking at the gates of paradise? And what deeds did this man accomplish in his life?”
And the voice of the accuser answered and listed all the sinful deeds of this man. And he named no good deeds.
And the voice from behind the door answered: “Sinners cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Depart from here.”
And the man said: “Lord! I hear Thy voice, but I do not see Thy face and do not know Thy name.”
And the voice answered: “I am Peter the Apostle.”
And the sinner said: “Have mercy on me, Peter the Apostle, remember human weakness and God’s mercy. Were you not a disciple of Christ, did you not hear His teaching from His own lips and see the example of His life? And remember—when He was sorrowful and grieved in spirit and three times asked you not to sleep but to pray, you slept, for your eyes were heavy, and three times He found you sleeping. So it was with me too.
“And remember also how you promised Him that you would not deny Him even unto death, and how you denied Him three times when they led Him to Caiaphas. So it was with me too.
“And remember how the rooster crowed, and you went out and wept bitterly. So it was with me too. You cannot refuse to let me in.”
And the voice behind the gates of paradise fell silent.
And, after standing a while, the sinner again began to knock and ask to be let into the kingdom of heaven.
And another voice was heard from behind the door and said: “Who is this man, and how did he live on earth?”
And the voice of the accuser answered, and again listed all the evil deeds of the sinner, and named no good deeds.
And the voice from behind the door answered: “Depart from here, such sinners cannot live with us in paradise.”
And the sinner said: “Lord! I hear Thy voice, but I do not see Thy face and do not know Thy name.”
And the voice said to him: “I am King and Prophet David.” And the sinner did not despair, did not leave the door of paradise, and began to speak: “Have mercy on me, King David, and remember human weakness and God’s mercy. God loved you and exalted you before men. You had everything: kingdom and glory and riches and wives and children, but you saw from your roof the wife of a poor man, and sin entered into you, and you took the wife of Uriah and killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. You, a rich man, took from a poor man his last lamb and destroyed him as well. I did the same. And remember afterward how you repented and said: I acknowledge my fault and am grieved for my sin. So it was with me too. You cannot refuse to let me in.”
And the voice behind the door fell silent.
And, after standing a while, the sinner again began to knock and ask to be let into the kingdom of heaven. And a third voice was heard from behind the door and said: “Who is this man? And how did he live on earth?”
And the voice of the accuser answered and for the third time listed the evil deeds of the man and named no good deeds.
And the voice from behind the door answered: “Depart from here. Sinners cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.”
And the sinner answered: “I hear Thy voice, but I do not see Thy face and do not know Thy name.”
And the voice answered: “I am John the Theologian, the beloved disciple of Christ.”
And the sinner rejoiced and said: “Now you cannot refuse to let me in: Peter and David will let me in because they know human weakness and God’s mercy. And you will let me in because you have much love in you. Was it not you, John the Theologian, who wrote in your book that God is love and that whoever does not love does not know God? Was it not you who in your old age spoke to people one single word: ‘Brothers, love one another!’? How then can you now hate me and drive me away? Either renounce what you yourself have said, or love me and let me into the kingdom of heaven.”
And the gates of paradise opened, and John embraced the repentant sinner and let him into the kingdom of heaven.
Translator’s Notes:
- This is an original parable by Tolstoy, not an adaptation of another author’s work.
- The story employs a folk-tale narrative style that Tolstoy often used for his “popular” writings intended for common readers.
- The epigraph from Luke 23:42-43 uses KJV phrasing as specified in the translation protocol.
- Biblical references within the story: Peter’s denial (Matthew 26:69-75), David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12), John’s teaching on love (1 John 4:8, 16).
- The phrase “Brothers, love one another” (Братья, любите друг друга) refers to a tradition that in his old age, when too weak to preach, the Apostle John would only repeat this simple message.