GRACE AND JUSTICE

In the Victor Hugo book Les Misérables, the protagonist Jean Valjean, after being released from prison, eats a hearty meal at a church provided by its staff and then spends the night.  He arises early before anyone else and departs the building with silver utensils belonging to the church in his possession.  French police see him acting suspiciously, stop and search him, finding the stolen goods.  Before returning him to prison, the police take him back to the church.  When the bishop answers the door, he exclaims, “I am glad to see you.  Well, but how is this?  I gave you the candlesticks too, which are silver like the rest, and for which you can certainly get two hundred francs.  Why did you not carry them away with your forks and spoons?” 

The grace shown by the bishop changed Valjean’s life and the remainder of the novel is a story of redemption.  Pastor Harry’s story about the stolen sound equipment in his sermon this past Sunday reminded me of this story as the choice had to be made, when the thief showed back up at Mosaic, as to whether justice or grace would be applied.  It begged the question of whether the sound equipment was more important than showing grace to a wayward soul that perhaps could be changed forever through a decision to be gracious.

While the staff could have made the decision to pursue justice, having the thief arrested at worst or allowing him to retrieve the stolen equipment at the minimum, they elected to pray with him and for him, showing him and the world that the actions of Mosaic Church affirm what it preaches. This example of walking the walk reminded me of the ever-blunt James, where in Chapter 3 of his book, he explains how we are not to be duplicitous.

James 3 (NKJV) 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.

We should all be proud of the Mosaic staff, not only for this one incident but also for the lives they lead by acting on sound doctrine.