May 10, 2019 -- II Corinthians 2:14-16 -- Perfume or Putrefaction?

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.  For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?

II Corinthians 2:14-16 ESV

As I sit here this morning I can smell that summer smell of cut grass. Across the street a man is mowing a large swath of lawn and the smell of it fills the room I am in even though the doors and the windows are shut. Not that long ago I learned that the smell is actually the signal that the grass is in distress. It is called: green leaf volatiles (GLV). These GLV are reported to be beneficial in a number of ways. These GLV release a compound that promotes healing of the green plants. And there are antiseptic properties to them which prevent disease. All that is taking place while we inhale the sweet fragrance of the mown grass.

Christ is our King and He is leading us as His army in the victory parade through this life to our eternal home. Along the route of this parade we are fragrance of life to other Christians. To non-Christians we are like the stench of death. Those who hate God will, by extension, hate us.

Paul asks the triumphal process of believers: “Who is sufficient for such things?” It is a rhetorical question. We are sufficient to such things because of our Leader, Jesus Who is the Captain of our Salvation. And the soldiers in Christ’s army experiencing the hate of the world spread the knowledge of Jesus to all around us. As we live among other Christians and among those who hate Christ our lives are aromatic.

When Christians are mocked for their beliefs, or imprisoned, or denied access to government services we are in our distress brought to our knees in prayer. The psalmist says our prayers rise as incense to God. When medical professionals who are followers of Jesus are required by the Canadian Government to participate in abortions or euthanasia we as the community of believers are unjustly being punished for our confidence in Jesus Christ. Yet Christians will submit to God alone for He is our highest authority, the Commander and Chief of our lives. And in our distress we cry out to Him and fragrance of our faith disseminates widely. The hymns and songs and psalms we sing are expressions that Christ is our Healer and He will keep us from getting infected by the culture of death that pervades our world. In response to the fragrance of persecuted Christians the LORD sends His Comforter, the Spirit of God Who brings to us the healing of Jesus Christ.

Our great confidence is in Jesus Christ. We know that the grass of the fields are here today and cut down tomorrow, but the Word of the LORD stands forever. We know that our lives, however long or brief, are lived as a sacrifice giving off a pleasing aroma to God. In all of this, we are sufficient to these things because God’s love is poured out on us; we are sufficient to such things because Jesus has rescued us from the clutches of death and the stench of the devil’s ruination. We are sufficient to such things because the Spirit of God will not let us stumble and fall back into the miry pit of the malodorous old ways of our old nature. The Spirit sustains us and keeps our feet in step with Christ so that any tears we cry are tears of expectant joy mingled in with the fragrance of the life that is ours now and unfolds into eternity. Whereas now we see the Captain of our Salvation at the Head of this Procession leading His people in victory, in eternity we will celebrate in His glorious presence.

Jesus, Leader in Life and Victor over death and hell, dispatch Your Holy Spirit to us as Your Ambassador and Your Comforter so that we will be sustained in confident faith during the days of trial and renewed in our joy-filled faith in days of peace. As we march, soldiers of Your cross, let the pungent smell of Your blood covering our sins rise as incense pleasing to our Father in heaven. Amen.