Les Misérables: Forgive Us as We Forgive - Wesleyan (Matthew 6:9-13)

In Victor Hugo's masterpiece Les Misérables, we meet Jean Valjean, a man marked by the scars of his past. After years of cruel imprisonment for stealing a loaf of bread, he encounters the Bishop of Digne, who offers him not just shelter but a profound gift of grace. In a moment that could melt the hardest of hearts, the Bishop forgives Valjean for stealing silver from him, placing the stolen items back in Valjean’s hands and saying, “You forgot the candlesticks.” This act of radical forgiveness transforms Valjean's life.

But the story doesn't end there. Years later, Valjean is faced with Inspector Javert, his relentless pursuer, who represents the unyielding law. In this moment, Valjean is confronted with a choice: to let anger and resentment take root in his heart or to extend the same grace that was so generously given to him. Reflecting on the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:12, “Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors,” we see the intertwining of our own forgiveness and the call to forgive others.

John Wesley, a pioneer of our faith, understood this relational aspect of prayer. He taught that when we say “Our Father,” we are acknowledging our shared need for grace within a community. As Valjean kneels in prayer, we feel the weight of his transformation; he must allow his prayer life to echo through his actions. As forgiven people, we too are called to pray prayers of forgiveness. Our cries to God must align with our hearts’ willingness to extend grace to others, just as the Bishop did for Valjean. Without this active response, our prayers become hollow echoes rather than vibrant affirmations of the love we've received. In the end, Valjean's journey teaches us that true forgiveness is not merely a moment; it is a way of living that invites others into the grace we have found.