Jean Valjean was a sinner … a thief who had done time in prison and was now out on parole. Trouble was, life on parole was difficult, as no one wanted to house or hire a former convict! Because of these difficulties, Valjean ends up on the run when a Bishop invites him to sleep in his guest room. Frustrated by his situation and his prospects, Valjean leaves the Bishop’s home in the middle of the night, but not before stealing the silver dishes. Now a repeat offender and on the run, Valjean is stopped by two constables who return him to the Bishop’s home because Valjean told them the silver was a gift. Upon returning to the home, however, amazingly the Bishop backs up Valjean’s story, and hands him the precious candlesticks (the last of the silver the Bishop owned) saying, “But my friend, you left so early, surely something slipped your mind. You forgot I gave these also, would you leave the best behind?”
With this stroke of grace, Valjean is stunned. Why would the Bishop do such a thing? The Bishop continued, “But remember this, my brother, see in this some higher plan. You must use this precious silver to become an honest man. By the witness of the martyrs, by the Passion and the Blood, God has raised you out of darkness. I have bought your soul for God!”
This story, told in Victor Hugo’s classic work “Les Miserables,” is a beautiful picture of the transformative power of grace. Jean Valjean was forgiven much, and it changed his life.
What about you? Have you been forgiven much? Do you need to find forgiveness? Where could you turn to find this kind of grace?
This Sunday at Wildwood Community Church in the fourth and final part of our “is He the ONE” sermon series, we will look at Luke 7:36-50 as we see the account of a woman who found forgiveness, where she found it, and what it did to her life. Join us this Sunday as we celebrate the Lord’s supper and dive into this text in our 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 worship services. See you Sunday … and bring friends.