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14In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. 15Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life. 16But those on the way to destruction treat us more like the stench from a rotting corpse. II Corinthians 2:14b-16a (MSG)
Some years ago, I learned that I was allergic to perfumes. I tried different brands, expensive ones, inexpensive ones, and all different types only to be met with the same result—itchy red bumps. Many of the finer stores had samples at their counters, and I tried them all in my search to find a perfume that didn’t cause a reaction. Not once did I have success, so I finally gave up.
Then I discovered a natural rose oil that I have since worn throughout my life. It’s always been kind of interesting to me when I see someone I’ve not seen in many years. One of the first things they say is, “You know, when I smell roses, I always think of you.” I am not sure if it makes me feel really old, or just thankful that they remember me! Somehow the thought of ever trying to wear another fragrance has sounded so foreign to me that I haven’t tried more than once.
During a recent time in God’s Word, I came across this scripture in II Corinthians. What an amazing thought to me, that I could be a fragrance and that the fragrance that I am could “smell” different to different people. As I let that thought sink in, I became more curious about the verses and what they meant in our lives.
“In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance.” Did you know that during Roman times, when a victorious general returned, he would display his treasures and captives amidst a cloud of incense burned for the gods? To the victorious Romans, the scent was sweet; but to the captives in the parade, it was a smell of slavery and death.
Can you hear the crowds shouting all along the route? Shouts of victory! Cheering for the general, for the soldiers, for the might of the Roman Empire? Can you feel the despair of the captives in chains, dirty, hungry, and frightened of the future? Here are the captives in a foreign land, hearing a foreign language, and smelling a foreign odor. One scent with two terribly dissimilar meanings.
How, I wondered, is my “fragrance” perceived? Among my Christian friends there is, I know, a sweetness, a loving connectedness, and it is a joy to be around each other with the knowledge that we are sisters and brothers in Him.
But in many places where I go—even where I work—there is a different perception of my “fragrance.” For those who do not know Him, it is a smell of death. They can’t even discern what it is but it perplexes and irritates them. When there is an attack against me, I know what is happening. They simply think they are within their rights, but truly they are fighting that fragrance that they cannot define.
So when we share the Good News of the Gospel, it is good news to some and repulsive news to others. Believers recognize the life-giving fragrance of the message. To nonbelievers, however, it smells foul, like death—their own.
Another version of this Scripture reads, “16In fact, God thinks of us as a perfume that brings Christ to everyone. For people who are being saved, this perfume has a sweet smell and leads them to a better life. But for people who are lost, it has a bad smell and leads them to a horrible death.” (CEV) God thinks of us as a perfume that brings Christ to everyone. Don’t you love knowing how God thinks of you? I do!
It is interesting too, that the Apostle Paul writes of two very opposite responses: Life and death. There is no in-between. The fragrance of Christ dispersed through us is not a come-on or a way to get someone in some type of holding pattern; it is a decision-maker. Just as Robert Frost wrote of the “fork in the road,” the fragrance of Christ is just that—a place where a decision is made.
Think again about your life. The fragrance of the knowledge of Christ spreads through us. It is not simply our words, but our actions. It is His compassion through us. It is His heart of love that does not stop to think but takes whatever is needed in that moment and gives. It is His smile to the weary young mother in the grocery line as her children wiggle impatiently. It is His extra “thank you” to the hard-working young man who just replaced your battery. It is His warm hello to the soaking wet mailman, or the faithful garbage hauler. It is His, “Hello, how are you?” to the man pumping your gas, or the “Thanks for doing a great job!” to the store clerk going the extra mile to search for that item you just can’t find.
You and I are to be that sweet odor permeating the world—the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. When we are in right relationship with God, we are that sweet smelling savor. It is our personal relationship with God that is most important, our time with Him, listening to Him, fellowshipping with Him, laughing with Him, crying or just being silent before Him.
Anyway, this is the one signature fragrance I’d rather be known for for the rest of my life, how about you?
Copyright 2006 by Desirée L.M. Pheister
Desirée L.M. Pheister is a member of Eastside Foursquare Church. She is a newlywed, mother of a teenager, a grandmother, and an administrative assistant at a medical research facility. You may reach her at: marrion8955@yahoo.com
