WEDNESDAY

Matthew 25:39-40

• How can you honor God by serving others today? How will it change your relationships?

In one of the most stunning pieces of literature, Victor Hugo tells the compelling story of Jean Valjean, a convicted thief in the French Revolution on the run from antagonist and police officer Javert. This book is so spellbinding it was turned into a Broadway play and later became a star studded film with names like Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, and Russell Crowe as leading characters.

Part of the reason I think the story resonates with so many of its readers is because it masterfully captures so many values of humanity: honor, love, compassion, and justice. One of the most moving storylines is that of Fantine, a poor young woman whose partner abandoned her with their young child, Cosette. In an effort to provide for Cosette, Fantine employs desperate measures before falling ill and begging Jean Valjean to care for her baby.

Jean Valjean graciously accepts, and Les Misérables follows their relationship as it evolves against a devastating backdrop of heartbreak, secrecy, and war.

There is nothing quite like a parent’s fierce love for their child. In her final moments, Fantine was not concerned about her comfort, her legacy, or herself at all. She simply wanted her daughter to survive. The most honorable thing Jean Valjean could’ve done was exactly the task he accepted: to care for Cosette was to care for Fantine in her death.

Honoring God is similar to this dynamic. When we serve others, we are ultimately serving God. It’s why the Bible says in Matthew: ‘When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

What we do for each other honors God. So let’s honor God by honoring each other.