Great illustration of last post

Last night I went to a Texas Rangers game with my dad. It was fantastic, because the Rangers have never gone so far in the playoffs and I got to watch as my home team spanked the New York Yankees, 7-2. It was a great, down-home, old-time whoopin'.

There was a triumphal procession during and after the game, but not everyone enjoyed it. In the seventh inning it was already 7-2 and the Yanks weren't putting up much of a fight anymore. One woman with a Yankees jersey led her boyfriend down the aisle to leave. A Rangers fan yelled out, "Yankees fan, don't leave early!" in a mock-begging tone. She turned around and promptly flipped him the bird for everyone to see. Offended by this crass slight, three whole sections began to shout as one: "Yankees suck! Yankees suck!" This was the soundtrack of her shameful exit.

All down the ramp as we left, defiant and exultant cheers of "Let's go Rangers!", "Yankees suck!", and just raucous cheering escorted us out of the stadium. It was a wonder how 50,000 people could do the same thing at the same time, like one organism all together. I thought as we left...if we are this excited about a stupid game whose fame will last for a few years and be forgotten, why aren't we so excited about the victory of Christ, whose fame will last forever? Why am I so worried about what others will think of me, when I have such good news to share? Sure, they may take it as the smell of death, but my job isn't to make people like Jesus. My job is to faithfully live and proclaim His good news everywhere I go.

How can I be Jesus-smell today?

The Aroma of Christ

Wow, haven't posted in a while. I'm gonna get back to the roots of what this blog is about...taking the Word of God and thinking through it so I can apply it daily. I hope that anyone who happens to read this is built up by what I hear the Spirit saying to me.

"¹⁴But 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. ¹⁵For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. ¹⁶To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? ¹⁷Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God." - 2 Corinthians 2:14-17

What a vivid passage that describes our evangelistic dilemmas even today. The picture of a triumphal procession is used here, a victorious parade that would occur after a major win in battle. The generals and army would parade through the capitol and bring with them the plunder and slaves captured in the war...a way to show all the people that victory has very clearly been won. Incense and flowers were a big part of that parade, so that the usual stench of ancient cities would be covered up and people could not only see victory, they could SMELL victory.

Who are we in the triumphal procession? The generals? The soldiers? The captured slaves? None of the above. We are the incense! We are not even described as the active agents in achieving the victory. Christ our general has won the war already and it had nothing to do with our activity. Our job is to signify that the war has been won, merely to give the active, vivid sense to the world that the victory belongs to Christ. To some that victory will smell putrid, as I'm sure it did to the captives in the procession.

To the losers that fragrance would have been the worst smell in the world. To those who identify themselves with this world, with Satan, with hedonistic self-love, with anything that goes against the values of the kingdom of God, the smell of Christ's victory will be the smell of death. Death to my self-will. Death to my dreams. Death to success in the world's eyes. Death to respect, reputation, and the illusion that we are in total control.

But to the victors, that aroma would have been the best smell in the world. They would have stood in the crowd, taking a moment to rest from work and join in the sights, sounds, and smells of absolute victory. I can imagine them standing still, closing their eyes, and savoring the moment with a deep, long breath. To those who have surrendered themselves to Christ, the smell of Christ's victory is the smell of life. Life to our broken hearts. Life to a purposeless existence. Life to God's dreams. Life eternal.

So, how do we smell? Are we even giving off a smell? Are we incense that smells strongly, filled with fragrant spices, or are we a bland mixture that can only stimulate the senses when surrounded by other incense? In my workplace, apartment complex, grocery store, body shop, gym, etc., am I constantly giving off the aroma of Christ? Lord, let me stink of Jesus this week!