Scripture reading: Mark 14:1–9

The Nose Knows

For we are the aroma of Christ. (II Corinthians 2:15)

 Several days before his crucifixion, Jesus was invited to the home of Simon the leper in Bethany (Mark 14:1–9). During the meal, a woman came and poured a bottle of very expensive perfume over his head. During the remaining days of that eventful week, as Jesus moved toward the cross, we can easily imagine how everyone with whom he interacted became suddenly aware of the aroma he carried. The disciples, the soldiers, the Sanhedrin, the crowd, Pilate, Caiaphas, and even the executioners—they must have all responded with a jolt when they encountered Jesus: “Whoa! What’s that smell?”

In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul makes the astounding claim that Christians smell like Jesus. He is not talking about biological body odor, of course, but rather that unmistakable “fragrance” that fills a room whenever the Spirit of Christ is present. The ingredients needed to fabricate such sweet perfume are no secret. They are spelled out in Galatians 5:22–23: love, joy, peace, patience, kind- ness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The aroma of this fragrance is like none other. But as with many perfumes; some like it and some don’t.

For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. (II Corinthians 2:15–16)

Yes, Christians smell. They have a distinctive odor just as Christ did. You can be sure when Christ is present—and when he is not—by the smell. Just because someone walks, talks, or acts like a Christian doesn’t mean that they are one. The real question is whether they smell like Jesus. When it comes to spotting real believers in this world, it is unfortunately easy to be fooled. Your eyes and ears may deceive you. But the nose rarely does.

At the risk of posing an offensive question, let me ask: What do you smell like? What odors emanate from your life? The problem is that it is nearly impossi ble to smell yourself! Blow onto your hand and smell your breath or put your nose in your armpit—it just doesn’t really tell you what others around you are experiencing. We can’t smell our own smell. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have one! Just as those around you have their own distinctive smells, so you have yours.

Today, if you have the courage, ask someone you know well to tell you what you smell like. Ask them to describe the fragrance of your life: not the words you say or the actions you perform, but rather the aromas that are emitted from your pres- ence in a room. Their noses know the truth when your nose knows it not.

Jesus healed the blind and the deaf, but there is no indication he ever healed any- one who couldn’t smell. Perhaps this means that while our other senses are faulty and flawed, the olfactory capacity is basically sound. The nose knows.

 

An unapplied Christ is no Christ at all.

—George  Whitefield

 

point to ponder • What do you smell like?

prayer focus • Someone who claims to be a Christian, yet has an offensive spiritual odor.