Accepting Mercy

Redemption.  Mercy.  These are the overwhelming themes of the show Les Miserables.  I recently attended the movie version of the well-known musical, and I was struck by how strong the message really is.  The show opens with a strong image of punishment of convicts in 19th century France.  We meet Valjean, a broken man, convicted of stealing bread for his sister and repeated attempts to escape.

He is finally granted parole, and leaves the prison.  He does not find solace in the town he dwells, as there is no mercy for convicts there.  Desperate, he steals silver from a monastery.  When caught and returned to the monastery, the monsignor claims he gave him the silver and gives him candlesticks in addition to the silver.  This man knows he should be punished for stealing.  However, the monsignor granted mercy.  Valjean responds with repentance and a vow to live right.

As we watch the show unfold years later, Valjean gets to show mercy to young woman and her child, but still remains on the run from Javert, the officer determined to find this escaped convict and return him to prison.  A revolution unfolds, and Javert is caught as a spy by the young revolutionaries.  Waiting to be executed, Valjean finds him, and shows him mercy.  He allows Javert to escape with his life.

Javert is a man who knows all crimes must be punished.  He knows he was "convicted" as a spy, and deserved to die, especially at the hands of a man he mistreated.  He has no idea how to react to this, and could not accept the concept of a pardoning.  Why is he free?  Why didn't he die for his sins?  He commits suicide, unable to bear the idea that forgiveness could trump judgement.

We were granted a pardoning by our God.  We were given mercy when we deserved death for the sins we committed.  What will you do with this undeserved mercy?  Will you respond as Valjean did, and repent?  Will you choose to live right in the eyes of God?  Or, will you respond as Javert did, and refuse to accept the forgiveness our God offered?

You get to choose.  Accept forgiveness or refuse.

"Go and say to this people: When you hear what I say, you will not understand.  When you see what I do, you will not comprehend.  For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes - so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.   So, I want you to know that this salvation from God has also been offered to the Gentiles, and they will accept it."  (Acts 28:26-28 NLT)