Fragrance of Christ

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 2:14-17; 3:5

One early spring afternoon, my sister, Gail, and I were walking in the park by our house.  She began sniffing the air and said, “Ah, just smell that wonderful aroma!”  We soon came upon a beautiful flowering lilac bush, where Gail was savoring the scent.  For me, however, the fragrance had become pervasive.  I wanted to walk faster to get away from the smell.

 

You see, my nose interprets lilac scent differently than my sister’s, especially at close range!  I guess you would say that, just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so the pleasantness (of a smell) is in the nose of the one smelling!  The fact is, lilacs are fragrant.  They are there on the bush for smelling.  If you like the fragrance of lilacs, you like its smell.  But, if you don’t, you have an opposite reaction.

 

 

In 2 Corinthians 2, Paul shows this to be true spiritually, as well.  “[God] manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.  We are a fragrance of Christ…among those being saved and…those who are perishing (vs 14b-15).”  The fragrance of Christ is in us and is there for the smelling.  To those around us who are open and receptive to Christ, it is a pleasant aroma of life; to those who are indifferent or opposed to Christ, it is a pungent aroma, the scent of death. 

So, some will welcome us for our sweet aroma in Christ, while many more will treat us like we have BO!  We are not like lilacs that have no relationship with those around them and remain unaffected by their responses.  We, however, can be either uplifted or dejected and discouraged by people’s various reactions to our fragrance.  We may begin to feel ourselves insufficient to be Christ’s aroma-bearer.  Even Paul in verse 16 asks, “And who is adequate for these things?”   

Later, in chapter 3 of 2 Corinthians, he answers his own question for himself and us: “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves but our adequacy is from God (vs 5).”  Amen, and praise You, Lord, that You give us what we need to represent you in this sin-sick world!  You desire that all respond to Christ’s aroma as a pleasant fragrance to their souls. Some will, some will not, but may I always be Your sweet aroma to all.

 

 

 

Do I Smell?

14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? 17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.     -2 Corinthians 2:14-17

I can’t believe it is September.  Fall is approaching and soon the leaves will be changing.  I know some of you may not understand my excitement, but you see, Fall is my favorite season and for the last two years I have lived in Florida where the leaves don’t change and you don’t get to experience the wonderful fresh smell of Fall.

When I would tell my friends in Florida that Fall has a smell, they would look at me as if I had something strange growing from my head.  Fall does have a smell.  It’s dried leaves, and smoke from bonfires.  It’s pumpkin spice candles, and apple cinnamon.  The smell of gives me comfort.  Now, I know for others, the smell of Fall is just a reminder that winter is coming and along with it, ice and cold.  

Our scripture today is similar.  2 Corinthians 2 says that we are the aroma of Christ.  To some we will be the scent of death, to others the aroma of life.  What this is saying is that we should be so different from the world that it will be a comfort to some and a conviction to others.  

Just like Fall can’t control how it smells, it is not our job to smell good to the world.  It is our job to smell like Christ.

Christians are the Aroma of Christ

I have not been blessed with movie star looks. I sometimes rub people the wrong way and can even bristle at the most trivial of things. I have numerous bad habits, and can be a thorn in some people’s side.

If I were a plant,
I would be a cactus

I just mowed the lawn and finished putting down mulch. I need a shower. In spite of all this, I am the aroma of Christ. In fact, all Christians are the aroma of Christ!

 

Today’s reading, 2 Corinthians 2:5-17, is about the relationship between Jesus, his Church and its members.

 

Two things struck me in the reading. The first thought is contained in verse 10 and spoken by Paul. “If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven – if there is anything to be forgiven – I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake.”  When a Christian forgives someone, it is the same as Christ forgiving them.

 

We are connected with Christ in our congregation through the power of the Word and Sacraments. We were delegated Christ’s assignment when he ascended to heaven.  And part of Jesus’ job on Earth was to announce the forgiveness of sins. So that is our assignment too.

 

When we forgive, Christ forgives!

 

The second thing was contained in verses 14 and 15, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ.”

 

Since we are connected with Christ, we also have the assignment of sharing the Good News of Jesus with the world. Carrying out this assignment is an aroma pleasing to God. And we know we will triumph.

 

We have the Holy Spirit which gives everything to carry out our task.

 

I am not worthy of this task. Ask my wife and she will list many more flaws than I mentioned above. If I were a plant, I would be a cactus.

 

But the Holy Spirit would still gives me a big flower, that would be the aroma of Christ pleasing to God!