Life in the Spirit II: What Jesus Smells Like

Scripture — 2 Corinthians 2:14 (NRSV)

But thanks be to God who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him.

Devotion

There are some smells in life that turn your head away in disgust. A poopy diaper. My forgotten bag of potatoes that rotted in college. Old broccoli at the back of the fridge. Any porta-potty. You get it. I am sure you could add a few to this list! Any one of these stenches could make you nauseous just thinking about it.

Contrastively, there are smells that make you whip your head towards something that smells pleasant and lovely. A warm pretzel at the state fair. Hot churros with dulce de leche dip. Smores roasting on a log fire. An apple cider candle at the end of a long day. Fudge brownies with double chocolate chunks in the oven.

Paul declares that Christ has his own fragrance. He goes on to say that we help spread in every place the aroma of Christ to those who are being saved and those who are perishing. The problem is that historically the church of God has stood in controversy and contradiction when our stench does not align with the aroma of Christ. Ask any Old Testament prophet. Ask Isaiah whom God used to reject their burnt offerings because their worship had the stench of injustice.

If we pause over this verse again, we notice that the fragrance comes from knowing Christ. This knowing may not only be head knowledge, but heart knowledge. What does it matter if seminary taught me how to speak, but how I live or treat people stinks? Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. This knowledge and this scent comes from nearness and proximity. We all know people that after we have been in their presence, we know that they have soaked in Christ’s presence. We smell it. After we have walked away from the fire that roasted our s’mores, we all know the smoke leaves a scent in our clothes and hair. Imagine using our senses and thinking of nearness to Jesus, proximity to Christ using our sense of smell. When we re-read the stories of Jesus and the people and places described: What did the room smell like? What is the fragrance of mercy? How could you bottle up grace? Perhaps we are underestimating the power of aromas. It may appear too simple, too faint to mean anything or make a difference.

When I think about what Jesus smells like, I think of those moments where a certain person makes me feel safe and seen, known and loved. I think of places that smell like “home” and like I belong. The scent of Jesus can be so faint that if we aren’t paying attention it might even be imperceptible to our hurried lives. But if we stop, pause, and pay attention, we just might smell the aroma of the presence of Christ in ordinary and mundane ways. We all have memories connected to moments where we feel in touch with the divine presence. Engage your senses and invite Christ to speak meaning to those moments.

To me Jesus smells like…

A friend of sinners.
Pan dulce to a hungry stomach.
A juicy mango running down my abuelita’s arm.
A crackling fire on a snowy day.
Salty ocean waves crashing on the shore.
Wet soil after a tropical rain.
The last time I smelled my mother’s hair.
A pot of black beans.
My dad’s car.
Birdsong on an anxious day.

Banner image by Gemma Evans on Unsplash.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the High Calling archive, hosted by the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Aroma or Stench.

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