Having the fragrance of Christ

 

Reflection 8th August 2021

5 ¹ Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, ² and live in love, as Christ loved us^[a] and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5: 1 - 2

Our sense of smell is the physical sense most associated with memory. Smells, more than sounds, more than sights, more than touches, transport our minds and bodies back in time to an imprinted memory. Nothing evokes stronger emotions and memories like the sense of smell. Each of us has memory smells.

In the days of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, burnt offerings were the norm — sometimes grain, but more often small birds, lambs, calves, all were sacrificed and burned. Burnt sacrifice was offered to appease God’s righteous anger over the sins and transgressions the people of Israel had committed. The sacrifices were made with herbs and oil. No wonder all those sacrifices were referred to by the priests as “fragrant.” The sweet smell of roasted richness coupled with the belief in its aromatic road to redemption, made for a heady atmosphere.

Jesus changed everything. The community of faith that came into being after Calvary was not based upon temple sacrifices. Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice, which made all those unnecessary. With Jesus’ death the powers of death itself were forever banished. And so was the perpetual need for seeking divine forgiveness via sacrifices in the Temple. In the theology of Temple Judaism, Jesus’ sacrifice was so perfect and complete that nothing more was required.

Our faith in Jesus means a commitment to be his presence in the world through the community of faith which is the Church. We, Jesus’ people, are the aroma of Christ in the world.

In this week’s Ephesians’ text, the author describes what a community of faith, a true Aroma of Christ, might look and smell like. No lies, only truth. No hate, only love. No condemnation, only forgiveness and love. An Aroma of Christ in the Church reflects God. We are to be “imitators” of God — forgiving, loving, open to all, sinners, and seekers. Those who embrace and embody these actions and attributes emit a special “smell.” It is the “fragrance” of Christ.

Apparently in 2019 the Fragrance Industry was worth £7 billion to the UK economy. And worldwide in 2018 it was worth $31.4 billion. People spend an awful lot of money each year trying to mask their body odours or attract someone else! What the writer to the Ephesians says is that there is only one scent that Christians are called to carry — that is the “fragrance” of Christ. If we were to try and describe this “fragrance” it would be the essential essence of divine love and forgiveness that wafted its way on the world from the hill called Calvary.

Forget your Chanel Number 5, or gentlemen your Old Spice! There should be no higher compliment to a person than this one: “I smell Jesus in you.” There should be no higher compliment to a church than this one: “the bouquet of Jesus is all over your church.” Or how about this compliment: “the fragrance of Jesus just gets stronger and stronger in your church.”

If we think of an expensive perfume, it is often made up of exotic ingredients and accordingly it is expensive and hence extravagant to use. In today’s epistle lesson, some of the ingredients of the aroma of Christ are spelled out.

First, they’re not exotic. We might even read the advice in today’s Ephesians’ text as nothing more than “be loving and forgiving”. But the repercussions of love and forgiveness are life-changing and world-changing.

Second, the ingredients of the aroma of Christ are not extravagant. Some people like to douse themselves in perfume or cologne. In the words of the old Brut commercial “Splash it all over”. But the truth is that just a little aroma of Christ has transformative properties. Just a small amount of Christ’s love and forgiveness are all that are needed.

In meteorological circles there is a technical term called “near calm.” “Near calm” is when only a one mile per hour of wind is recorded. “Near calm” describes a breeze that is just enough to bend a blade of grass. It appears to be an insignificant amount of wind.

But wait a minute: a one mile per hour wind could alter the flight of a golf ball or a tennis ball. A near calm wind could have consequences for Tiger Woods or Andy Murray. Just a tiny amount of “near calm,” just a tiny dab of love and forgiveness in someone’s life, can create huge changes. The aromas of Christ offered by a small community of faith can have massive consequences.

When Bill Clinton met Nelson Mandela for the first time, he had a question on his mind: "When you were released from prison, Mr. Mandela, as you marched from the cellblock across to the gate of the prison, the camera focused in on your face. I have never seen such anger, and even hatred, in any man as was expressed on your face at that time. That's not the Nelson Mandela I know today," said Clinton. "What was that about?"

Mandela answered, " I regret that the cameras caught my anger. I was thinking to myself, ‘They've taken everything from you that matters. Your cause is dead. Your family is gone. Your friends have been killed. Now they're releasing you, but there's nothing left for you out there.' And I hated them for what they had taken from me. Then, I sensed an inner voice saying to me, ‘Nelson! For twenty-seven years you were their prisoner, but you were always a free man! Don't allow them to make you into a free man, only to turn you into their prisoner!'"

We have only to breathe deep of the fragrance of Christ, and exhale that sweet smell upon the world to bring about transformation. Transformation of ourselves and transformation of others who smell the fragrance of Christ.

Note: This Reflection was inspired by a Sermon of Leonard Sweet published on https://sermons.com/