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“Do you smell like Jesus?” is the theme for our reflection. To smell like something or a person means you share similar characteristics or qualities of the thing or person. To smell like Jesus means to have a relationship with Jesus such that He is perceived through you by others. We are going to consider the fact that reflecting the perfect image of Christ and sharing the Gospel makes us smell like Jesus.

Dear friend, reflecting the perfect image of Christ and sharing the Gospel will make us smell like Jesus. In other words, it is impossible to smell like Jesus unless we have reflected His perfect image or examples and also participate in the sharing of the Gospel. It was for this reason, Paul wrote to the Church of Corinth that “… thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. ¹⁵ For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. (2 Corinthians 2:14-15). We have a duty as disciples of Christ to smell like Christ for the sake of encouraging our fellow brothers and sisters in the faith and also to invite those who are dying or perishing in sin to the source of eternal life, Jesus Christ.

There are two ways to smell like Jesus. We can smell like Jesus through active and passive evangelism. To actively smell like Jesus and cause others to perceive Him through us, we must obey the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 where Jesus instructed us to “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Paul encouraged Timothy to actively smell like Jesus when he wrote to him that “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season…do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:2,5). Again Paul emphasises the importance of smelling like Jesus by actively preaching Him when he wrote that “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Romans 10:14-15). Dear friend in the Lord, one of the ways we can smell like Christ or have Christ perceived through us is by engaging in active evangelism or preaching the Christ at the market, bus stops, bus stations and wherever we have human interactions and activities ongoing.

Dear friend in Christ, apart from smelling like Jesus through active evangelism, we must also smell like Christ through passive evangelism. Passive evangelism is projecting Christ through your lifestyle or character. In other words, reflecting the image of Christ in our daily interactions with people through our genuine demonstration of love, integrity, honesty and all that Jesus has taught us through perfect examples and teachings. Luke tells us that “For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch, the disciples were first called Christians. (Acts 11:26). They were called Christians because smelled like Christ. Again, to smell like Him, Jesus instructs us to “… love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High (Luke 6:35). Paul provides us with another example of smelling like Jesus through passive evangelism or through our daily Christian living when he wrote to the church of Ephesus to “… be imitators of God, as beloved children. ² And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:1-2) Dear friend in the Lord, we are being invited to smell like Jesus at our workplaces by living a life of integrity and trustworthiness. We are being reminded to smell like Jesus in our marriages by being faithful or loyal and truthful to our spouses or partners. Christian politicians, civil servants, workers in the private sector, contractors, professionals and anyone who believes Jesus as his or her Lord and Savior must smell like Him by respecting the human dignity of the people they are required to serve and having zero tolerance for corruption, bribery and any form of exploitation of the masses. It is through these godly traits and reflection of the image of Christ that we can become the aroma or fragrance of Christ in our homes and communities.

In summary, we have reflected on the theme “Do you smell like Jesus?”. In our meditation, we have learnt that we must smell like Jesus by reflecting His perfect image in our lives. Again, we must share the Gospel actively and passively in our lives. Shalom.

PRAYER
1. Dear friend, do you smell like Christ? If you do not smell like Christ, then repent and pray inviting the Holy Spirit to strengthen you to reflect the perfect image of Christ and also develop zeal for the sharing of the Gospel.
2. Let us pray to overcome any temptation that will take away the aroma or the fragrance of Jesus from our lives?
3. Let us pray for the grace to do His will so that as we continue to smell like Jesus our Christ-like aroma or fragrance will invite those who are perishing in sin to come to Jesus and be saved.

Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, may your divine aroma or fragrance never depart from us. Enable Your perfect image or aroma to be sustained in our lives through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Amen.