I hope you have a film library in your home. One of the most worthwhile movies to own is what has become for me one of my finest dramas of forgiveness, “Les Miserables.” The original source of the movie is the long sprawling novel of Victor Hugo.
It is the remarkable story of Jean Valjean, a French prisoner. Sentenced to 19 years of hard labor for the crime of stealing a loaf of bread in his dread poverty, Jean Valjean gradually hardened in prison into an unbeatable bitter convict. No one could best Jean in a fistfight. No one was able to break his stubborn will.
At long last, Jean was released. Ex-convicts in those days had to carry identity cards. No innkeeper in his right mind would let a dangerous felon released from prison spend the night at his lodging place. Upon release, Jean Valjean wandered village roads, seeking shelter against the weather.
Finally, a truly kind bishop had mercy on Jean. That night Jean lay awake in an unfamiliar bed. Then almost hell-bent to be a prisoner, Jean Valjean rose from his bed. He rummaged through the bishop’s home looking for silver. Grabbing all the silver he could pick up, Jean was gone, out into the darkness of the night.
The next morning, three policemen knocked on the bishop’s door, with Jean Valjean in handcuffs. They testified that they caught this convict running with the silver he had stolen. They were returning the silver to the bishop, and ready to put Jean Valjean into prison for life.
The bishop took the policeman and especially Jean Valjean off guard. He cried out to Jean, “So here you are, Valjean. I am delighted to see you. Had you forgotten that I gave you the silver candlesticks as well? They’re silver like the rest, and worth a good 200 francs. Did you forget to take them?”
Jean’s eyes widened. He was staring at the old bishop with an expression that no words could ever convey. The bishop assured the three policemen that Jean was no thief at all. “The silver, he said, “was my gift to him.” When the policemen stepped back, the bishop grabbed the silver candlesticks and gave them to Valjean as he stood there on the doorstep trembling and speechless.
The bishop continued, “Do not forget, do not forget, that you have promised me to use the money to make yourself an honest man.” The power of this bishop’s forgiveness, when he should have demanded revenge, and put Jean into prison for life, was too much for Jean. The bishop’s actions countered and defied everything human in Valjean.
Having never repented before, Jean’s heart of granite stone was melted into defenseless putty. His soul was washed, as he received the forgiveness, as a-free gift. Jean ended up keeping the candlesticks as a remembrance of the grace offered him by the bishop. He now dedicated himself to help everyone in need whom he met.
Nevertheless, there was a detective named Javert, who knew nothing but legalistic justice. He felt his case against Jean Valjean was right. He stalked Jean mercilessly for the next 20 years. Yet Javert was a man who never knew the meaning of forgiveness. His obsession was revenge, retribution, and he had an insatiable thirst for the same.
Then, if you remember the story, Valjean was able to save Javert’s life, as the prey showed mercy and grace to the predator, the pursuer. This act of grace to Javert messed with Javert’s warped retributive mind. His world began to crumble. As Javert could not cope with Jean’s forgiveness, which went against Javert’s instinct for revenge, Javert was now between a rock and a hard place. He had no room for forgiveness in his hardened soul. So remarkably, Javert jumped off the bridge into the Seine River.
Watch the movie again, or perhaps, for the first time. Now the question comes to haunt us. Are we unable to find forgiveness for others in our life? Which of us is bent on defaming someone, embittered against them, unwilling to forgive as God has forgiven us? Which ones of us are ready to forgive others, as we repent before God?
Unlike “The Count of Monte Cristo,” a novel by Hugo’s compatriot, Alexander Dumas, Victor Hugo’s work awakens a sense of grace. Dumas’ novel awakens a sense of justice, as it pictures a wronged man, who developed a deeply revengeful sense of justice, against four men who framed him. I need no sense of justice. I need rather, a sense of grace to accept Christ’s forgiveness as I repent. God gives us grace to forgive. Only those who know Jesus can fully know this grace to forgive.
Richard Carlson is the pastor of the Rock Springs Evangelical Free Church. Of his 53-plus years in ministry, he has pastored locally for the last 45 years.
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