Les Miz by Victor Hugo. Justice vs. Grace. Javert vs. Jean Valjean.

One suicide that displays the characteristic behaviors that precede ones taking of their life is the death of Inspector Javert in Victor Hugo’s novel Les Misérables because it clearly illustrates the three steps to suicide 1) Situation (desperation), 2) Intolerable Dilemma (Inescapability), 3) The Decision to die.  It also contrasts the two covenants, WORK (the law of God) and GRACE (Jesus).  Because the story has a strong Christian theme, I have chosen to analyze the interactions between Javert and the main character Jean Valjean as they impact Javert’s decision to take his life.  The story is set in France in the early 1800s and climaxes in 1832 with the June Rebellion in Paris.

Jean Valjean is released from prison after 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread.  On parole, he meets a priest and becomes a Christian through the priest’s demonstration of grace.   The priest forgives Jean Val Jean for stealing the church’s silver and candlesticks.  Jean now a believer breaks parole and in 10 years becomes a successful businessman and Mayor of a French city.  The transformation from bitter pagan thief to benevolent Christian is obvious as the plot develops.

Inspector Javert is a police official who pursues Jean Valjean to take him back to prison because of the broken parole.  Javert becomes obsessed with catching him.  Javert sings the “Stars.” Which shows his total commitment to bringing Jean to justice by sending him back to prison.  God’s law and the fulfillment of justice have become his life’s central focus and purpose.  Click the link and listen to “Stars.”

Javert sings “Stars” from Les Miz  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OktB-qEOiXA

 As Jean prepares to flee Javert catches up with him. Jean makes a deal to surrender to go back to prison after three days.  In a rapid turn of events Javert is captured by revolutionaries and given to Jean Valjean to be executed as a spy. Watch Now.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23wh1h0UWZM

 Rather than execute justice by killing Javert, Jean shoots the pistol into the ground and sets him free.  Javert the strong advocate of justice has been confronted with grace.  Justice has been overcome by grace. That’s the GOSPEL but Javert can’t tolerate it.  He insists that the penalty of the law be enforced even though he has tasted grace.  This next song is in three parts.  First, he describes the situation that creates the dilemma grace overcoming the law has put him in.  He cannot accept receiving pity or being thankful he has been allowed to live.  His whole purpose for living has been taken away.  In the second part, he laments grace being superior to justice and will have no part of surrendering justice for grace in Jean giving him back his life.  He has entered an intolerable dilemma.  And sees no way out.  This dilemma has brought him to the third point there is no solution but to die. He makes the decision to take his life.  NO place to turn and NO way to go on.  He cannot live in a world where grace overcomes the law because God himself has intervened.  Listen now.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsZdfna1LKA

Commonly the decision to die by suicide comes about when a person has concluded that the dilemma or situation, they face has no hope of resolution or even ever getting better.  To illustrate the steps to the suicide decision I’ve divided the previous song into three parts. First, the situation, second his reaction, and third his decision. 

The Situation.  Javert represents justice through the enforcement of the law to its full extent.  He will not be satisfied until all the penalties from the enforcement of the law are carried out and Jean is returned to prison.  After their confrontation, Jean has the opportunity to bring justice to Javert by killing him but instead gives him grace and sets him free.  Justice recoils at the giving of grace and not the punishment required by justice.  Justice and grace are set as opponents in Javert’s mind. 

The Intolerable Dilemma.  Javert is now in a dilemma from which he sees NO escape. Justice would be fulfilled if Jean were to kill him when he was told to by the revolutionaries but instead Jean releases Javert.  He is now free without justice being done.  Javert CAN NOT accept this.  In his world, justice MUST be carried out, with NO exceptions.  Grace has canceled Justice causing Javert to ask questions how far can grace go?  Sins, forgiven? Crimes, reprieved?  This shakes him to the core his belief that his purpose in life is to fulfill the law.  To complete Justice, Javert must die.

The Decision. There is no other option.  Grace cannot be accepted.   He makes the decision to take his own life.  He cannot live in a world with grace.  The last eight lines in this song illustrate the Apostle Paul’s extensive argument in Romans 6 that the law drives us to grace and clearly shows the great desperation at the last moments of a life that will end in suicide.

Roman’s 6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So, you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you since you are not under law but under grace.

What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jean Valjean Conversion:  When Jean Valjean sings his soliloquy earlier when he became a Christian, his declaration is much like Javerts.  But here, for Jean Valjean but it’s a decision point to turn to Christ because of the grace shown by the bishop: Listen here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJx1pRCey78

At this moment he has died to himself to confess the Gospel.  In both cases, the desperation brought about by the situation has brought them to a decision point.  New life for Jean Valjean and death for Javert.   Look at the parallel verses

Inspector Javert.   As I stare into the void.    Of a world that cannot hold.  I’ll escape now from that world.   From the world of Jean Valjean.  There is nowhere I can turn.   There is no way to go on!

Jean Valjean.  As I stare into the void.  To the whirlpool of my sin.  I’ll escape now from that world. From the world of Jean Valjean.  Jean Valjean is nothing now. Another story must begin!

Let me summarize with this:  The Law can only bring death to men because of the sinful nature we cannot obey it completely.  Salvation comes through grace because the law was fulfilled in Christ for us.  BY faith we receive the satisfaction of the law in Jesus. 

We DIE by the JUSTICE of the LAW, – Javert’s suicide     We LIVE by the GRACE Of Christ Jesus, – Jean Valjean

1 Corinthians 15:20-22. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.  For as by a man (Adam) came death, by a man (Jesus Christ) has also come the resurrection of the dead.   For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

Two men two different destinies.

Inspector Javert:  Javert’s life is dedicated to enforcing the law of God.  He relies on justice to make the world right.  He sings:  “Those who follow the path of the righteous, shall have their reward.   For so it is written on the doorway to paradise, that those who falter and those who fall.  Must pay the price!”

His commitment is so strong that adding grace subverts justice and so cannot be accepted.  He won’t accept the grace of his life being spared.  So, the only alternative is death.  This rejection of grace is the unforgivable sin spoken of in the Bible.  Javert is representative of the “old Covenant” of works.  To be reconciled to God by the law a man must keep ALL the law for all his life.  No one can survive justice if this is the only way.  Although the law promises life it can only bring death because no one can attain its standard. So, Javert must die!

Jean Valjean:  Jean Val jean becomes a believer when shown grace by the bishop in his stealing the silver.  He recognizes his sin and looks for an escape.  Based on the Bishop’s grace Jean asks, “He told me that I have a soul.  How does he know?  What spirit comes to move my life?  Is there another way to go?”

He finds another way to go and is born again.  A new story begins as he is now becoming an honest man.  When Jean gave Javert his life he’s giving him grace but because Javert cannot accept grace he must receive justice which brings Javier to suicide.  Once Javert is dead, Jean Valjean receives freedom from the pursuit of the law and can die in peace.  Jean Valjean is representative of the “New Covenant” and by receiving grace comes to know God.  This is the Gospel. Grace brings new life in Christ., the law brings only justice and death.

Licensed:  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode

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