Observation: As Paul is telling the church in Corinth about some of his recent work, he describes his work - and explicitly his preaching the gospel message of Christ - as a metaphorical aroma that passes through communities. That singular aroma smells differently to people. To some is it pleasant, and when they inhale it they are revived in their souls and find life. To some the aroma is unpleasant, reminding them of death, and they turn away from it.
This metaphor works well for all people, across all times. For one, the idea of aroma rising is a very, very Old Testament component of the covenant with the Lord, as effectively the rituals and practices of sacrifices required a continual grilling of animals ... there was a constant and distinctive aroma rising from the tabernacle and later the temple for centuries. The metaphor remains consistent for New Testament believers, as visions of heaven often include a large incense bowl before the Lord, with the prayers of believers rising out of it as a fragrant aroma.
To a modern reader, we know different people respond very differently to the same scents. Some love the smell of certain cooked foods, others are physically reviled by the same smell. People can be either physically attracted to or revile the same perfume. This is a timeless metaphor for all people ... the gospel is an aroma that either brings life to those who love it, or death to those who hate and reject it.
Application: Once again, the truth about Jesus is black-and-white. Jesus doesn't exist in some middle ground where you can know of him and then be ambivalent about who he is and what his life, death, and resurrection means. If the truth about Jesus is something you believe in, you are forgiven of your sins and will receive eternal joy and blessing in abundance. If the truth about Jesus is something you don't believe in, you will be judged by the Lord based your own actions and receive an eternity in accordance to that judgment.
And also once again, this is how we see people receive the gospel ... they either are attracted to it, or repulsed by it. I have seen people physically recoil at discussions of Jesus. I have seen people swear and become angry and run away from the simple mention of Jesus, very much as if a skunk just sprayed them. However, I have also seen people who don't know Jesus physically lean in to listen about him, or smile when told there is hope for their lives, very much like someone opens a pot a delicious stew and wants a big whiff of it.
I might be tempted to say I want to 'smell good' to everyone. However, I don't. I just want to smell ... I want to smell more often, to more people ... and they get to decide if they like the aroma or not.
Prayer: Lord, I know I am far from you lately. May you still find a way to use me today, this weekend, and every day, for your glory. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment