In our last posting in this mini-series, we looked at the opening of Les Miserables. Still within the prologue, we're given a glimpse of the twin concepts of grace and mercy. In the Cathedral we used to sing an old chorus which simply explains these foundational elements of Christianity:
Mercy is when God does not give us what we deserve
Mercy is when God does not give us what we deserve
He does it because he love us, He does it because he loves us
Mercy is when God does not give us what we deserve.
Grace is when God gives us the things we don't deserve
Grace is when God gives us the things we don't deserve
He does it because he loves us, He does it because he loves us
Grace is when God gives us the things we don't deserve.
Back to our old friend, Jean Valjean. Having fled with his freedom, he is mistreated by employers who only give him half the wages of the other workers, because of his criminal status. Destitute, desperate and down and out, he is on the streets when the local bishop takes him in. Given a decent meal and a bed for the night, Jean betrays the generosity of the bishop by stealing a silver dish and fleeing in the middle of the night. [Maybe Javert was right after all?]
Captured by the local army officers, he is returned to the house, where he maintains that the honest bishop gave him a gift of the silver. Surely not. He's a thief after all, that's what he does. But what does the bishop do? Not condemn him - which he surely could do. Instead, he shows him mercy, by not punishing him, and at the same time, shows him grace by giving him the silver candlesticks as well.
What amazing grace!
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