All of us know, as human beings, we have five basic senses - Sense of touch, sense of sight, sense of hearing, sense of smell and sense of taste. Of these five senses, the sense of smell is considered to be the strongest.
Certain smells are nostalgic. When you smell that particular thing, it brings back old memories. There is a study that says the sense of smell is closely linked with memory, possible more than any of our other senses.
Interestingly, God also exhibits this sense of smell. In Gen 8:20, Noah sacrificed burnt offerings - a sacrifice of thanksgiving. What was God’s reaction? The next verses says, “The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.”
The anger of God was replaced by peace, because of what he just smelled.
In the book of Leviticus, God instructs His people to give offerings and burn incense.
In the New Testament, the sacrifice of Christ is a fragrant offering unto God. We read that in Eph 5:2.
“and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Father God smelled the offering of Christ and it is a sweet aroma to Him.
Then book of Revelation talks about our prayers being a sweet aroma.
Rev 5:8 - And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, reach holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
Let’s meditate on another important verse that talks about how we can spread the fragrance.
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.
II Corinthians 2:14.
Here we see the word aroma. Certain translations use the word ‘fragrance’. And this is extremely important.
As you first read this verse, you can picture something. You can picture is a great victory procession wherein Christ is at the head of the procession. We follow him, celebrating him as the universal conqueror or the victor.
As Paul was writing this, he had in mind the picture of Roman Triumph. Romans were ruling at that time. Everyone who lived in that period in history probably would have got to witness at least once the victory procession.
There was a custom that the Romans followed. When a Head of the Military team wins over some other country or city, and brings them as captives, he was given a grand welcome into the city of Rome. There was literally a procession that took place to celebrate the victory.
In that procession, the victorious generals marched in a certain order through the streets of Rome
The Roman Caesar or the General who won led the parade. It was the highest honour one could receive. He sat on a chariot of white horses. He was followed by different groups of people:
1. The city magistrates, state officials, Roman senate, and then the trumpeters.
2. Soldiers carrying their spoils from the conquered land.
3. Pictures and models of the conquered citadels and ships.
4. The white bull for the sacrifice.
5. The captive rulers, their leaders and captured generals in chains, ready to be executed even as the white bull would be sacrificed.
6. Finally, the musicians and priests swinging their censers with sweet-smelling incense burning in them.
Wherever the parade went, people could smell the pleasant smell of the incense.
For the victorious army and for the Roman citizens, the fragrance has the sweet aroma of victory. The smell made them extremely pleasant and happy.
On the other hand, for the victims who were captured, the smell of incense was frightening. They know they are going to die, they are going to be executed before the end of the day. So the smell for them was the smell of death. It was unpleasant and brought in fear.
This was the picture that Paul had in mind, even as he penned these verses.
2 Corinthians 2:14-16
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. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life.
Christ is our conqueror who is leading the procession. We follow him as His chosen warriors, enjoying the benefits of what he conquered.
That is why, Bible says in Romans 8:37 - Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
We did nothing, but as Christ conquered, we are enjoying all the benefits.
And as we march along with him, we are emitting everywhere the sweet fragrance. What is this fragrance? The fragrance that results from knowing Jesus Christ. The fragrance is the knowledge of Him.
Wherever we may be, whatever position we may be in, we are to spread the fragrance of the power of the gospel.
When we spread the aroma, it is not pleasant for everyone. Not everyone accepts Jesus as their Saviour. Some hear the gospel and choose to deny the truth. Consequently, they would fall into judgement. That is why, Paul says, the aroma brings in life to some people while the same aroma brings death to some other.
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 Paul goes on to say 2 Corinthians 4: 7 - But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
The treasure is again the Knowledge of Him – in other words, the fragrance of God is the treasure.
2 Corinthians 4:6 - For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ.
Interestingly, God has chosen to put that precious treasure of the knowledge of Him in fragile clay pots.
Isn’t that’s so amazing. Generally, where do we place our treasure? Where do we keep things that are valuable and expensive? We keep them in precious and safe containers? We obviously wouldn’t keep in something that is fragile and unsafe.
But God did not keep the treasure in expensive vessels. Rather, he chose to put the treasure of His fragrance in clay pots. Mere earthen vessels. He takes simple, fragile and vulnerable clay pots like you and me – with all the cracks and flaws - and uses us to display His power.
Why does God choose to keep the greatest treasure in clay jars? So that the glory belongs to Him alone. "But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us"
Immediately after talking about the treasure in clay pots, Paul writes this verse.
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed
These pressures and stress that Paul endured indicate about clay pots being cracked. The good thing about the clay pots being cracked is that it emits the sweet fragrance of His grace.
There are some much of ‘buts’ in this verse. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
Even if the pot is cracking, we are not being crushed. We are not being destroyed. On the contrary, we are emitting the fragrance of God.
CONCLUSION
It is important to be good stewards of God’s treasure. As God’s people, we are to emit the fragrance of Christ wherever we are. When we demonstrate the Christ-like love to people around us, we are emitting the fragrance of God. When we talk about the saving grace of Christ, we are emitting the fragrance of God. When we forgive people whom we think don’t deserve it, we are emitting the fragrance of God. When we do something good, we are emitting the fragrance of God. When we make peace, we are emitting the fragrance of God. Let’s pray that constantly, at all times, God would help us to emit the sweet fragrance to those around us.
