Les Miserables

Introduction

Good morning everyone! It’s always good to be back with my favourite South Side crew for our epic yearly At The Movies series! This week, I have something very special for you - one of my favourite books/plays/movies of all time. Les Miserables!

I could literally talk forever about this masterpiece so it’s best for me to move on.

The name “Les Miserables” means “The Miserable Ones” - Les Miserables was composed and finished by Victor Hugo in 1861. A book that was later converted into a world-famous play in 1980 that swept both West End and Broadway theatres.

It’s a film set in 19th Century France - the bulk of which occuring around the June Rebellion of 1832, a student-led uprising against the Monarchy of King Louis Philippe.

The film follows a protagonist by the name of Jean Valjean - a character that Hugo uses to explore the depth of the theme of Grace.

Les Miserables notably had many faith themes running through it - because Victor Hugo was a professing Christian.

One of the most profound themes that Hugo explores throughout this work is the life-shattering complexity of grace, something that I want to take a look at today.

Our story begins here - as Jean Valjean has recently earned his freedom from slavery, however life as an ex-con is tough. And he has found himself relying on the kindness of a local priest because nobody would take him in.

FILM SEGMENT 1: VALJEAN RECEIVES GRACE/VALJEAN SOLILOQUY 8:30-14:30 (6 MINUTES)

This is a powerful scene that I like to think of as the Invasion of Grace upon a person’s life.

And the image that is so beautifully portrayed by the act of the priest (who by the way, is the original Valjean in the theatre version - giving a beautiful image of redemption to us) is that of grace lavished upon an undeserving sinner.

This is Ephesians 1:7–8 “7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight”

And in case you have not had that revelation in your life my friends - please catch it. That very much like this priest, you cannot even begin to fathom the depth of the grace that God has lavished upon you.

If you have an amount in your head, multiply it by 10 and it still wouldn’t be near the amount of Grace that he has poured out for you.

Just like this passage and in the movie - it would have already been SUCH a generous act of grace to give Valjean the silver that he had took, more than generous enough - but even MORE than that, he gives over the candlesticks.

The image is so powerful - when we’ve been caught in a transgression, when we come back to the throne of grace expecting to be rebuked, to be told that enough is enough, God’s grace doesn’t run out - no, it continues to cover, it continues to give.

Just like scripture says in John 1:16 “16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”

There is no conceivable end to the grace that comes from God - even when we think it runs out, it covers even more.

And that’s why Valjean’s soliloquy is one of the best portrayals of an encounter of grace that I’ve ever seen. It is a COLLISION of the largest proportions of two worlds - a man governed by sin, knowing no other master, having no way out SUDDENLY presented with freedom, SUDDENLY presented with a love that he never deserves, SUDDENLY confronted with a forgiveness that he has not earned.

What happens? An unavoidable wrestle begins between the old self and the new self. The Old Self wants to continue in the life that it has grown comfortable in, a slave to sin, operating under the rules of the law. If you have committed a crime, then your punishment is set - and your struggle is to run as far as you can from consequence and punishment because everyone falls short of the law. “I am reaching but I fall, and the night is closing in - as I stare into the void, into the whirlpool of my sin”

The New Self has a new identity - a soul, a hope, a future, freedom.

What happens when the New Self is accepted just like we saw Valjean do in this scene? An OBLITERATION of the old man occurs. “I’ll escape now from that world, from the world of Jean Valjean, Jean Valjean is nothing now, another story must begin!”

He tears up his parole ticket - the ticket identifying him as the old man 24601 because Grace does not REHABILITATE the old, it BIRTHS the new.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Grace is an abundance that cannot co-exist with the old self, it’s simply impossible. It’s so lavish, so extravagant, so abundant that when it collides with the old self it either is rejected or it COMPLETELY OBLITERATES the old self, the old way of thinking, the old way of living.

FILM SEGMENT 2: JAVERT CONFESSES WRONGDOING, VALJEAN CORRECTS (36:00-40:05)

This scene is the introduction of our antagonist, a police inspector named Javert. And here we see a very interesting dynamic come into play.

Jean Valjean is a bad man living under grace, Javert is a good man living under law.

And already in this interaction we see something happen - Javert makes a mistake, he believes that he has wrongly accused Jean Valjean of a crime - and his reaction is that he immediately demands that he be punished for his mistake. “I’ve done you wrong, let no forgiveness be shown”

This character is designed to show us how inflexible the law is, and how unforgiving it is to even the best people who break its code.

So much so that when Valjean shows him grace you can see the look of confusion - like he doesn’t know what it is, how to receive it, what to do with it.

this is James 2:10 “10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”

It is unrelenting, unforgiving - and utterly impossible to live up to. But it is the only alternative to relying on the grace of God - one must live to fulfil every letter of the law without failing in the slightest.

And the contrast is drawn so beautifully and sharply with Jean Valjean who, instead of doing good because the law demands it, he does good because of the grace that has been extended to Him. “My soul belongs to God, I know, I made that bargain long ago - He gave me hope when hope was gone, He gave me strength to journey on.”

A person living under grace does not do good to appease the law, he does good out of the grace that has already been extended to him.

Titus 2:11–12 “11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,”

The entrance of grace into a person’s life produces such a profound effect that those living under grace do not abuse it by doing wrong but are so profoundly changed by it that there is now a desire to do good - and to reveal that same grace to others

Just as Jean Valjean shows us in this scene - to great personal expense.

FILM SEGMENT 3: VALJEAN SPARES JAVERT (1:49:00-1:52:05)

This is the pivotal point of the grace motif in the movie - and I don’t want to talk to much here because it sets up the final culminating scene about grace.

But in this scene we see Valjean literally handed another opportunity, to execute his hunter and concretize his freedom.

And again there is a confrontation of two opposite perspectives - the sinner living under grace, and the good man living under the law.

And the man living under law shows the same inflexibility - “shoot me now for all I care”

Jean Valjean extends grace to him in a final way, “You are free and there are no conditions - no bargains or petitions, there’s nothing that I blame you for. You’ve done your duty, nothing more.”

This is yet another continuation of the grace motif and it’s absolute power over an individual.

It really reminds me the sinful woman with the alabaster jar of perfume, that poured the whole jar over Jesus’s feet and began to wipe his feet with her tears.

And then the Pharisees saw it and were outraged that not only would she waste an expensive perfume like that, but that Jesus would tolerate such a sinful person being so near to him.

And then Jesus tells us this parable in Luke 7:41-47

Luke 7:41–47 ESV

41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

Such a beautiful image, and exactly what we’re seeing here on the screen.

Jean Valjean receives the grace so differently to Javert because he knows just how much he’s been forgiven.

Javert, throughout the film, never truly accepted the grace - because he never truly saw himself as a person in need of that same grace.

And it culminates in the scene we’re about to see.

FILM SEGMENT 4: JAVERT SPARES VALJEAN, JAVERT DIES (2:06:06-2:09:10)

And this is the final commentary that Victor Hugo has about the impact of grace on a self-righteous man living under the law.

And that impact is catastrophic. The moment Javert was shown grace by Valjean - he rejects it because it is so foreign to him. He would rather die than owe his life to an act of grace.

Both men began living under the law - on both sides. One a criminal living UNDER the law, and the other a good man living BY the law. But the moment grace is introduced, one of two things happens:

We see in Valjean the beauty of grace colliding with a person who receives it freely and willingly, and it is completely transformative.

We see in Javert the destructive power grace has when introduced to a person who holds on to the law and self-righteousness. Who believes that the good that they do is enough to save them.

It obliterates their worldview, they cannot receive it because they cannot fathom needing it.

This is shown to us in scripture Galatians 2:20–21 “20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.”

The person who is to receive this grace MUST die to themselves in order to receive that grace. Must come to a place where we recognise just how DESPERATELY we need the grace of God. We have to recognise just how FAR we are from ever earning our own salvation. The revelation of Romans 3:23 “23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

And that it is only way we can be righteous is by the Grace of God.

But the most terrifying thing in all of this to me, is that Paul addresses the church when he writes Romans 10:2–3 “2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.”

You may or may not have picked up on this in the film - but Valjean was not a believer when he encountered grace, resulting in such a profound change.

Whereas Javert was a believer from the start - and encountered and rejected grace AS A BELIEVER. The most religious man in the story is the one who is ironically killed by grace.

This is just a reminder to us as Christians that we, perhaps more than anyone else can be lulled into a sense of self-righteousness because of the good that we do.

But that self-righteousness is the very thing that will nullify the grace that we were first saved by.

This film is a constant reminder for me to keep the awe and wonder of grace fresh in my life. To stay postured in gratitude so that my life my not just be changed once, but may be changed continuously by the grace that I’ve received.

Altar Call

Renewal of grace altar call. If there is any person here who would like to receive this grace for the first time - or be refreshed in the grace then please put up your hands.

Worship together.