“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. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.” 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 NIV

Does your presence linger when you leave the room?

Some of the perfumes that are sold today have such a pungent aroma that when the person, man or woman, leaves the room the fragrance lingers for a time. Some are so strong that it is unpleasant to stay in the room. Some, however, leave so sweet an aroma that you want to take it with you when you leave.

Paul alludes to this strong influence in our Christian life. We should be a fragrant aroma of Christ. What was Paul really saying?

Recently, I read the book “Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus” by Lois Tverberg. The subtitle is “How the Jewishness of Jesus Can Transform Your Faith.” She helps one understand from the culture in which Jesus lived what He would have meant by his parables, stories and teaching.

The culture and people to which Paul was speaking understood something we westerners would miss concerning the fragrance of Christ following us in a triumphal procession.

In ancient times in Israel and other Middle Eastern culture, kings were anointed with fragrant oil on their robes. The scented oils, myrrh, aloes and cassia (Psalm 45:8) and frankincense, or spikenard were expensive and they lingered for several days.  One of the uses of these fragrances was to announce the king’s arrival in triumphant entries.  When the King and his warriors came home from battles, the people would line the streets and the smell would alert the people that the King had come home.

When Mary anointed Jesus in John 12:3, Jesus partially explained that she was preparing him for burial. (Matthew 26:12) But when I read that the fragrance would have lingered for several days, it gave a deeper understanding of what Paul would say later.

What Mary was saying by anointing Jesus was that she believed him to be the Messiah, the anointed One, the one for which all of Israel had long awaited.

The perfumed oil would leave behind and “act like an invisible crown” (Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus, pg. 21, Lois Tverberg.) Wherever Jesus would go the people would smell the aroma of a king. When Jesus came into Jerusalem on a donkey, the people celebrated Him as a King! Hosanna! Blessed by the King of Israel!

When Jesus was in the Garden and the guards arrested Him, he left the aroma of a king. I imagine Judas had the scent in his memory until he hung himself. Wherever Jesus went the week of the crucifixion, he left the aroma of the Messiah, the Anointed One.

I have a vial of spikenard, scented olive oil from the Holy Land that a precious friend brought back to me, and a vile of myrrh which I opened when I began to look at this passage. The smell of each lingered throughout the day. Even when I laid down that night I could smell the scent on my skin. It was to me a soothing reminder of how much Jesus had done for me and you. He withstood all that for me and for you. All the while he endured this horrific death, the fragrance of a King was in the air. The people would have not missed it.

To some that day, Jesus left the aroma of life, eternal life. To others it was the stench of death. We, as Jesus followers should have lives that give the fragrant knowledge of Christ. How we live matters. How we love one another matters.

The fragrant knowledge of Christ is life to those who “are being saved” but it is the smell of death to those who “are perishing.”

Learning to interpret scripture in light of the culture in which Jesus live, brings a freshness to God’s Word. Maybe you are like me in that you need a fresh anointing of God’s Word. Maybe we need to “Sit at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus” more often. Maybe then I would give off a more pleasing aroma to the God and to Jesus, our Messiah.

Are you spreading the aroma of Christ to those around you?

I know I have some work to do.

Freda Reynolds