In
the Book/movie Les Miserables, the criminal Jean Valjean is released from prison
after serving 19 years.
He proceeds immediately to mug a priest and steal valuables from his
home.
Valjean is then accosted by Grace.
He’s arrested by the police, brought back to the priest, who then
thanks the police for bringing Valjean back so that the priest could give
Valjean even more valuables!!!!!
Valjean
gets off scot free!
He’s free to become honest and good.
He’s also free to steal, plunder, rape and kill.
He’s free and forgiven and (we assume) welcome back into the priest’s
home at any time, no strings attached.
So
is grace cheap?
Isn’t this just liberal Christianity where anyone gets “in” because
God just forgives everyone?
Where’s accountability, judgment, law, repentance, the sinner’s
prayer, faith, belief?
Valjean did none of that and he was set free anyway, yes even free to
steal again!
It
is here that we learn the nature of Grace.
Grace is not just getting off the hook for wrongdoing, though it is that.
Grace is not just endless mulligans and do overs, though it is that.
Grace is much more.
Grace is a power that works like a good infection, which, as it permeates
the soul, brings us face to face with our sin and face to face with God, the
pain of which becomes debilitating until the overwhelming forgiveness of the
unforgiveable overwhelms and then a whole new world of freedom opens up, a whole
new life, a new birth.
Is
Grace cheap?
Hardly.
The priest was physically violated and suffered the loss of great wealth.
He had sustained the wrath of 19 years of pent up anger.
Yet the priest chose the way of the cross.
Was
Grace cheap for Valjean.
Hardly.
Repentance, which didn’t precede but followed Grace, was searingly
painful.
Seeing one’s own sin is excruciating.
Seeing it absorbed and crucified in and by another’s forgiveness and
grace is worse.
Boldly accepting unmerited freedom takes a courage that is painful to
sustain.
No,
Grace is not cheap, it’s costly to all involved, yet it is the most freeing
and life transforming power on planet earth
(parenthetically I might add that even Javert paid the price of costly
Grace.
As grace relentlessly accosted him, he ached and as his ache met his
refusal to let it win, it cost him his life)
When
have you experienced the costly unmerited painful yet freeing Grace that is far
from cheap?
For
more:
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