From the DayBreaks archive:

On New Year's Day, my wife and I went to see Les Miserables, the movie that was released on Christmas day.  We knew the story well, having seen the musical on stage at least 3 times. I know of no musical that can rival it for either the music or message. 

The first time we went to see the play, Les Miserables, was the night that allied forces launched the first Gulf war against Iraq.  The first bombs had fallen just before we left for the play.  From the time I first hear about it, my mind was captivated by the imaginings of brave men and women in harm's way at those moments.  It made Les Mis all the more relevant during the scenes at the barricade (and leading up to the scene of the fighting of the revolutionaries for freedom.) 

Today, as I watched the movie, I was more struck than ever about the dynamic portrayal of law versus mercy and grace.  Javert is the epitome of one who has lived his life by not just the spirit of the law, but the letter of it as well.  Once himself from "the gutter", he believes it has been his adherence to the law that has raised him up to a position of influence and power.  He sees himself as a better human than the main character, Jean Valjean, a convicted thief who changed his ways after he received an undeserved act of mercy and grace from the bishop.  Valjean has not earned the blessings he received and Javert is intent on putting him back in his place for years ago breaking parole. 

I can identify with both men.  I was raised in an extremely legalistic church that was all about the things we couldn't do because we were tasked to obey.  If you sinned, you were at risk of eternal hellfire if you didn't have a chance to pray and seek forgiveness between the time you sinned and the time you died.  It is, to put it bluntly, a terrible, terrible way to live. 

Then, thanks to new eyes during a study of Romans, and the writings of Philip Yancey and Brennan Manning, I came to learn about mercy and grace.  Living under an umbrella of God's mercy and God's grace is a much better way to live…and it sets one free!

Perhaps the most comforting verse in all Scripture to me is this from James 2:12-13:  Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

And so it is in the movie: Javert takes his own life rather than believing in and accepting the truth of grace.  Valjean dies in peace, knowing that though he was a flawed man with many faults and failings, that if one human could show to another the kind of grace he received from the bishop, then the grace of God must be of infinity magnitude.  With such knowledge, he breathes his last.

If you are struggling with a version of "performance Christianity", I beg of you to see Les Miserables, then go home and read Romans, then Philip Yancey's What's So Amazing About Grace and Brennan Manning's Ragamuffin Gospel and Ruthless Trust.  Let mercy and grace prevail.  If James was inspired when he wrote what he did (and I believe he was), not even on the day of Judgment will law triumph over grace.   

PRAYER: May we throw ourselves with reckless abandon into Your waiting arms of love, mercy and grace, there to wait mercy's ultimate victory over Judgment…all because of the blood of the Lamb!  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Copyright 2022 by Galen C. Dalrymple. ><}}}">

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