Elaborate on a quotation from Leo Tolstoy's "The Penitent Sinner."

"The Penitent Sinner" , by Leo Tolstoy, is a story that
deals with topics such as prejudice, self-deception, mercy, forgiveness, and redemption.
This particular story is meaningful because it analyzes these topics from the point of
view of three extremely important characters in theology, namely Peter, King David, and
John-whom Jesus loved the most.

The story keeps a pattern
in narrative, as the sinner begs to be let in, while receiving a negative reply from
inside the gates of heaven.

There are two important quotes
that denote the central theme of the story:

Didst
thou not in thine old age say this one sentence to the people: ‘Brethren, love one
another’? How then can'st thou now begin to hate me and drive me away? Either deny what
thou thyself hast said, or else let me into the Kingdom of
Heaven.”

This quote is essential because the
sinner reminds John that if he (John) claims to have been loved by Jesus the most, and
calls himself a saint, and yet has enjoyed the love of God- how in the world can he look
upon another man and say that a sinner cannot get entry into
heaven.

This shows an exposure to the hypocrisy of those
'holier than thou' types of persons who idealize religion as a world of pure sainthood,
but forget that they too have sinned. This is a direct blow to the organized religions
and to people who look down upon others. They should remember that, as their finger
point at someone, there are three fingers pointing back straight at
themselves.

Another nice quote comes from the saints
themselves when they say to the sinner each time he asks to get
in:

“Depart hence; such sinners cannot live
together with us in Heaven.”

Imagine how arrogant
it would seem to have Peter- who denied Jesus at his worst hour, David- who took another
man's wife, and John-whose life motto is "love one another"- tell a man who has sinned
just as badly as they have that he cannot go inside the gates of
heaven!

It is interesting how Tolstoy allows the main
character to retort back by stating facts that directly remind the saints that the way
in which they entered heaven themselves was by learning from their sins, acknowledging
them, and transforming themselves for the better.  How could they deny anyone entrance
into heaven? We are all the same.

That is basically the
biggest message that Tolstoy sends out in this story: Saints were once sinners
themselves. This show the natural weakness of men. However, it would be an even weaker
thing to not change, and not learn from them. Everyone gets the same fair chance at
heaven as long as they repent sincerely.