“Now you are the body of Christ,
and each one of you is a part of it”
I Corinthians 12:27

“A Good Smell”
March 25, 2020 – by Pastor Bob Bolt
II Corinthians 2:12-17

Certain smells trigger thoughts of certain people or events in our lives. When I smell a cigar, I think of driving around in my grandpa’s old white Chevy while he would puff away on an Old Dutch Masters cigar. When I smell fresh-cut grass, I am reminded of the long spring days my brother and I spent cutting yards when we ran a lawn business. When I smell wood burning, I think of pleasant times our family had around campfires on family vacations.

When my daughter was young, we would sometime leave her with a baby-sitter. She was a little apprehensive when we left, and she would almost always ask if she could have one of our bed pillows. When we would come home, my wife and I would peek in on her, and there she would be, hugging our pillow. Why did she do this? Because, she said, the pillow smelled like us. It was a smell that reminded her that we really weren’t so very far away. Smells trigger memories and can bring someone close to us when they are far away.

Christians carry with them a certain smell too, and God likes that fragrance. Paul tells us about it in 2 Corinthians 2:14-15: “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” God is using us Christians, our smell… our aroma… to tell the world that God is here. At this very time, there is one huge nasty smelling virus odor that is filling the air!  Even though we might feel insecure at times or the evil-smelling garbage of our day begins to take over, God is still with us here on earth. He desires to make his smell known- through us. That is some responsibility we have!

Paul is also telling us that God, like a child with her parent’s pillow, likes to smell us. He likes to pick us up like a big bunch of flowers and take a good strong whiff of us. Why does he like to do this? According to Paul, when God smells us, he smells Christ. I guess the blood of Jesus, with which we have been washed, has a smell that we can never get rid of. It so deeply saturates our being that it overpowers the smell of sin.

Now that is good, comforting news. Now that is worth smelling!

Prayer:
God, I am so thankful that you have washed me and have covered me with the saving cleansing power of your son, Jesus Christ.  Now smelling like him, help me to spread his fragrance to my family, friends, and community.  May this aroma let people know that you are near! AMEN

If you have an idea or story as to how you are spreading the smell of Christ during these challenging times, please leave a comment.  (Bring a card to a neighbor, check-in on the elderly person that you know, pass out an almond joy bar to neighbors…just a few hints)