“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:17
My daughter loves musicals. I do not.
However, I do love the story of Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables so I told my daughter I would watch the 2012 movie musical rendition with her (although I skipped a few parts for her sake). The movie, starring Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway and Russel Crowe, is as brutal as it is beautiful.
(Note: If you have not read or seen Les Miserables, spoilers are ahead.)
The hero of Hugo’s epic is Jean Valjean, an ex-convict who steals some silver from the hospitable Bishop Myriel while on parole. Although Valjean is later caught with the silver by the police and brought back to the bishop, the compassionate man of God not only forgives Valjean but tells the police that the silver was a gift and then gives him more*.
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| Jean Valjean by Gustav Brion |
Valjean is stunned by this act of grace and mercy and it begins to change his heart toward God and man.
The antagonist is Javert, a police official whose obsession with justice and with catching Valjean leaves no room for grace, mercy or forgiveness.
As the story unfolds, we see that one of the main themes is that of the tension between law and grace, between justice and mercy, between Javert and Valjean. This tension is also one of the main themes of the Bible.
The Bible calls Moses’ Law “good” (Romans 7:12) but it is only helpful to the extent that it can lead us to acknowledge our need for a Saviour (Galatians 3:24-25). The Law by itself can only condemn, it cannot save. Only grace can do that.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works (of the law), so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
After Valjean shows grace without condition to Javert by not killing him when he has the chance, Javert is at a loss to grasp his actions. He simply cannot comprehend grace or mercy and thus he sings out:
“I am the law and the law is not mocked
I'll spit his pity right back in his face
There is nothing on earth that we share
It is either Valjean or Javert.”
Javert then throws himself into the Siene.
Javert knew only the law; a cold, bitter, merciless justice. Valjean had known the law as well, however, when he experienced grace from the bishop, he accepted it and begin to show it to others. Javert would not accept it, therefore he ended up where law without grace always does – a dead end.
The tension between law and grace in Les Miserables is only broken by the death of Javert (who is a type of the law). In the Bible, the tension is only dissolved by the death of Jesus Christ who thus fulfilled the law (Matthew 5:17).
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do… God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.” Romans 8:1-3
For the antagonist of Les Miserables, it was “either Valjean or Javert”, either grace or law, either mercy or justice. For Valjean though both could exist at once.
At the cross, law met grace and was fulfilled. At Calvary, justice kissed mercy and they were wed. Only there can we be justified, forgiven and made righteous in the eyes of God.
Let us be convicted by the law, but let us never stop there. Let us eagerly seek, accept and show the free grace that is in Christ. This is what changes the world and prepares us for the next - like it did for Jean Valjean.
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| Javert by Gustav Brion |
*It’s interesting to note that, like the bishop, Jesus not only took away our sins but gave us a gift – his own righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).
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