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Themes Heaven's Entrance Requirements ISLAND OF TEARS From the hill on which his house is built, you can see the island. It is in the harbor, about four miles below the hill. For seventy-five years, he rode the ferry past the island. But he had never been back - never, that is, until today. In 1922 he was twenty-one years old when he passed through the island - Ellis Island. Now he was almost one hundred. He could never forget the journey, though. He had left Sicily and journeyed aboard a ship to America, "steerage" class. Steerage made a lot of money for the ship owners. They packed in the Europeans coming to America like sardines. He had a bunk to sleep in, for eight hours. Then it was someone else's turn. The bathrooms stopped up on the second day out. People were seasick all over the decks. He was wretched. In the end, he stopped caring whether he made it to America or died on the way. He just wanted to be off the ship.
The ship docked in New York. Immigration officers processed first and cabin class passengers before they left the ship. Steerage class passengers, though, boarded a ferry for Ellis Island, where they were processed. The young man made it through the process. Soon he was on another ferry to the train terminal in Hoboken, and a new life in America.
Not all steerage class passengers were so fortunate. The U.S. government feared that European countries would send their sick people, poor people, and their criminals. America held its doors open for healthy, law-abiding people who could earn their own living. The U.S. did not want the rest. Ellis Island was where the government tried to sort out the types it did not want, and send them back.
Wise immigrants would bring with them papers to try and prove they could support themselves. Foolish ones would cross their fingers and hope for the best. Most people did make it into America; but many were sent back. So Ellis Island became known as "the island of tears."
Unfortunately, many people approach the end of their lives like the foolish immigrants. Some just hope that somehow they will end up in Heaven. Others work hard to do the best they can, but are never really sure whether they will make it or not.
The Lord jesus was accepted back into Heaven because He was sinless. As the Bible says, "in Him is no sin" (1 John 3:5).
Yet, He was the Sinless one who bore "the sins of many" on the cross (1 Peter 2:24). He had paid the full price for the sins of the world when He shed His blood and died.
Everyone can enter Heaven who has had their sins paid for in full. That is a price none of us can pay. But the Lord Jesus paid the price for "the many" (1 Timothy 2:6). Are you one of "the many"? You can be, if you will admit you are a helpless sinner who cannot pay for your own debt of sin. To you God says, "For when we were yet without strength, in due time christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6).
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