When Justice is Deserved…Grace
One of my all-time favorite Broadway plays is Les Misérables.
It’s not just a musical—it’s a soul-stirring epic of love, forgiveness, and redemption, and the heart of the story beats through the life of one man: Jean Valjean.
Valjean is sentenced to 19 years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread to save his starving family. Nineteen years. And when he’s finally released, he’s branded a criminal, rejected by society, and treated like an outcast. He’s hardened by injustice, angry, and desperate to survive.
Then something unexpected happens. A humble priest takes him in—gives him shelter, a warm meal, and a place to rest for the night. It’s the first act of kindness Valjean has known in years. But still, the old survival instincts kick in. In the dead of night, he steals the priest’s precious silver and runs.
He’s quickly caught and dragged back by the authorities, who present him to the priest to confirm the theft. Valjean is ready for judgment. He expects to be thrown back into prison.
But then—grace.
The priest looks at him and says something incredible: “Ah, there you are! I’m so glad you came back. But you forgot the candlesticks.”
He hands them to Valjean. No condemnation. No lecture. Just mercy. Love. Forgiveness.
In that sacred moment, Jean Valjean’s heart shatters—and is remade. That simple, stunning act of grace transforms him. He leaves that house not just as a free man but also as a changed man. No longer defined by his past, he devotes his life to compassion, justice, and mercy. Not because the law demanded it, but because grace inspired it.
The priest could’ve chosen justice. He had every right to. But instead, he chose grace—and that grace did what law never could: it redeemed a soul.
Now this is an incredible story, told with sweeping music. But it merely reflects the story of grace God has been telling for millennia. One example is in the life of the evil king Manasseh of Jerusalem. He worshipped idols and sacrificed his son to them. Hundreds of innocent citizens of his own kingdom died because of him. His evil was renowned. If anyone deserved justice to be meted out, this man did. But we are told an incredible story about the end of his life when he was taken into captivity. 2 Chronicles 33 tells us that:
When he was in distress, he sought the favor of the Lord his God and earnestly humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. 13 He prayed to him, and the Lord was receptive to his prayer. He granted his request and brought him back to Jerusalem, to his kingdom. So Manasseh came to know that the Lord is God. — 2 Chronicles 33:12-13 (CSB)
Yes, we often learn from justice. But sometimes… we learn even more from grace.
