Les Miserables and Gospel
Story
The
story of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables is a great example of the gospel story. The main character, Jean
Valjean, is a convict without hope. Sentenced to a 19 year term of hard labor for
the crime of stealing bread, Jean Valjean gradually hardened into a tough
convict... At last he earned his release. But, no innkeeper would let a
dangerous felon spend the night. For four days he wandered the village roads,
seeking shelter against the weather, until finally a kindly bishop had mercy on
him. That night, Jean Valjean rose from bed, stole valuables, and crept off
into the darkness. The next morning three policemen knocked on the bishop's
door with Valjean in tow. They had caught the convict with the stolen silver
and were ready to put him in chains for life. But the bishop said to the
policemen, “This silver was my gift to him.” Then, he said to Valjean, “I'm
delighted to see you. Had you forgotten that I gave you the candlesticks as
well?” Valjean was no thief, the bishop assured the police. Jean Valjean experiences undeserved grace from the
bishop, and it transforms his life forever. He becomes a hero, a man who
adopts and loves and cares for a young girl who loses her mother. For me
personally, particularly I love how the author Victor Hugo describes the
bishop's gracious acceptance of Jean Valjean when they first met that night. The
bishop said, "You need not tell me who you are. This is not my house, it
is the house of Christ. It does not ask any comer whether he has a name, but
whether he has an affliction. You are suffering, you are hungry and thirsty; be
welcome... What need have I to know your name? Besides, before you told me, I
knew it... your name is brother."
My Name Is Simon Peter
In
today’s passage we meet Simon Peter. We see so much of ourselves in Peter.
Peter was a common man. He is full of
inconsistencies. He struggles between faith and doubt, between the carnal
man and the spiritual man. At one time Peter was the first to boldly get out of
the boat and walk on water, but in a few seconds, he was terrified by the
strong wind and sank. Peter was the first to confess the divine nature of
Jesus. He boldly said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” But, in
a few minutes, he rebuked Jesus when Jesus began to explain that he must suffer
and die. Peter was the first to draw a sword to defend his Master, but within a
few hours, he denied his Lord three times. Peter
is not always like this. As we know, in the New Testament there are two
letters written by Peter. They were written about thirty years after these
earlier events of his life. In the
letters Peter is solid and steady like a rock. He is no longer easily
moved. He does not fluctuate. Even in the midst of severe persecution he stands
firm and takes up his positions and writes the messages of encouragement to his
fellow believers. Simon Peter has
matured. He is no longer a man of many moods. Peter is the conqueror of
inconsistency.
Love: “You Will Be Called
Peter!”
So
what happened to Peter? It certainly was not an accident. There are two things that changes
Peter’s life forever – one is love and the other is power. First of all, the
love of Christ transformed Peter’s heart. When Jesus met Simon Peter for
the first time, he said to him, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called
Cephas” (which means “Peter”; Peter means “rock”; John 1:42). Here Jesus was
saying, “Simon, you are a man of inconsistency now, but I know you will be a
man like a rock!” When Jesus had the last supper with his disciples, he knew
within a few hours all of the disciples would abandon him, including Peter. But
Jesus prayed for Peter and gave him a mission. Jesus said, “Simon, Simon, Satan
has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith
may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers"
(Luke 22:31-32). Again Jesus was saying, “Simon, you will be a man like a
rock.” After the resurrection Peter goes back to his old life. But Jesus comes
to him and asks the same question three times, “Simon, son of John, do you love
me?” Jesus reinstates Peter and says. “… When you are old you will stretch out
your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want
to go” (John 21:18b). Jesus is saying, “Simon, you will be a man like a rock.
You will live for me. You will die for me.” The
love of Christ transforms Peter, and eventually he has become a man like a rock
indeed!
Power: “You Will Receive
Power!”
The second phase of Peter’s
transformation came at Pentecost. This meant “power.” On the day of Pentecost the disciples
were all filled with the Holy Spirit. They became different persons. Look Peter
after Pentecost! How different he is! He was scared to death to acknowledge
Jesus in front of people, but now in the midst of a mocking mob he stands up
and speaks out with boldness. He proclaims, “Therefore let all Israel be
assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and
Christ." Then he continues, "Repent and be baptized, every one of
you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” After this, Peter is arrested, and the
Jewish leaders give threats to him. But he says to them, “Judge for yourselves
whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot
help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Pentecost completed Peter’s transformation.
Tim
Hansel, Christian writer, once met his old friend for the first time in 10 years.
He was very impressed by how his friend was wonderfully changed. She was still a
Christian 10 years ago, but now she was something different. She was filled
with joy and confidence. So Tim couldn’t help asking, “Can you tell me what
happened?” And she answered, “Sure, in the past every time I fell, I cursed
myself and was tormented by guilt. But, as I was reading the Epistle to the
Romans, I realized the truth that I am a sinner, and there is nothing good in me.
From that moment, every time I fell, I just confessed my weakness and kept
going. But, there is more! I realized that if I do something good, it is not
from me, but from the Holy Spirit within me. And now I live for the joy of
watching how the Holy Spirit is at work in my life.” Tim concludes as follows,
“My friend has changed not from bad to good, but from good to great. She was a
moral person before, but now she is a contagious Christian on fire.”
Simon to Peter
In
Mark 14:54, shortly after Jesus’ arrest, we read that Peter followed Jesus “at
a distance.” Before he experienced undeserved grace and forgiveness at the seashore
of Galilee, before he was filled with the Holy Spirit, he was able to follow
Jesus at a distance. But persecution came because of Jesus, Peter quickly fell
away. Without experiencing the love and power of Christ, we are able to follow
Jesus “at a distance” with our own strength and wisdom. But when trouble or
suffering comes because of the word, we quickly fall away. We need the love of
Christ. We need the power of the Holy Spirit. We need God’s grace. Max Lucado
defines God’s grace in this way: "Grace is simply another word for God's
tumbling, rumbling reservoir of strength and protection. It comes at us not
occasionally or miserly but constantly and aggressively, wave upon wave.” God’s
grace is like an ocean wave which constantly crashes against the beach. Before
we finish saying, “Lord, I fell again,” the huge wave of God’s love sweeps into
us. Before we finish saying, “Lord, I am weak. I am unqualified,” another
massive wave of God’s power just sweeps over us.
Are
you struggling between faith and doubt, between ups and downs? Then, remember
Simon Peter. The One who changed Simon’s name to Peter is here with us today. As
I close, I want to share RJ Butler’s hymn I
Will Change Your Name:
I
will change your name
You
shall no longer be called
Wounded,
Outcast, Lonely or afraid
I
will change your name
Your
new name shall be
Confidence,
Joyfulness, Overcoming One
Faithfulness,
Friend of God, One who seeks my face.
Confidence,
Joyfulness, Overcoming One
Faithfulness,
Friend of God, One who seeks my face!
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