Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. 16 To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this? NLT

I regularly pray 3 things for my wife and myself:

  • That we will shine for Jesus;
  • That we will smell of Jesus;
  • And that we will be given open doors to speak about Jesus.

Reading through 2 Corinthians 2, I have realised that all three ideas are to be found in this chapter. Obviously, the verses before us relate to the sense of smell.

David Pawson made the point, one we have previously considered, that the picture here is of a Roman General having a victory parade through the streets of Rome. He pointed out that all along the route there would be incense burning, and he said this would smell very differently to the defeated captives, than it would for the vast majority of winners on the route and in the crowd.

As I think about my prayer request that we will smell of Jesus, this passage helps me to see that not everyone will like the fragrance we are wearing. We should not expect it to be so. Our Christian life and witness will not be to everyone’s taste.

In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life. But those on the way to destruction treat us more like the stench from a rotting corpse. The Message