Let us read a verse from 2 Corinthians 2:15, “For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing”. First of all, we are a fragrance of Christ. Primarily we have to be a fragrance to God, then to the believers and then to unbelievers. Consider the perfumes that we buy. When we buy a perfume, we always check its fragrance before we buy it. God too smells our lives, so it should be a fragrance to Him. In Genesis 8:20, 21 we see how the offering that Noah offered was a soothing aroma to God. Our life must be a soothing aroma to God.
Consider the making of a perfume. How does a rose become a beautiful smelling perfume? The rose undergoes many breaking and crushing processes to become a perfume. Our life too must go through breaking and crushing processes to become a fragrance to God. Jesus is compared to the rose of Sharon. He also went through many breaking processes (Isaiah 53:5, 10)so that His life and death was a sweet smelling aroma to God. In Ephesians 5:1,2 we read how Jesus life, death and resurrection was offered up as fragrant aroma.
What is this real sacrifice? In Psalms 51:17 we read, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” God wants us to have that broken Spirit, and then only we can be a fragrance to God and to believers and unbelievers. The way of the cross is the way of brokenness. In the Old Testament and the New Testament God has used many men after allowing them to go through situations to break them. Like how God used Moses, Jacob & Peter.
In Jeremiah 4:3,4 we read, “For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, “Break up your fallow ground, And do not sow among thorns. “Circumcise yourselves to the Lord And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds.”” We see a similar verse in Hosea 10:12, “Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord Until He comes to rain righteousness on you.” Fallow ground is a hard ground. If our heart is like a fallow ground, it is useless for farming. God wants us to plough our fallow hearts by breaking our self-will, jealousy, selfishness and our pride. It is the right time of repentance. It is the right time to break the fallow ground. God is willing to shower His Holy Spirit on us so that we can change our fallow ground and be a fragrance to God.
In Mark 14:3 onwards we read the story of the woman who broke the vial of costly alabaster at the feet of Jesus. Unless the jar was broken, the house wouldn’t be filled with the fragrance. The fragrance only comes out of brokenness. In Matthew 14:16-19 we see how the loaves of bread had to be broken so that 5000 people could be fed. The purpose of God of brokenness in our lives is so that we can be more like Jesus, a useful vessel for God. In 1 Corinthians 11 regarding the Lord’s table we read in verse 23 and 24 that Jesus body was broken for us. When we participate in the Lord ’s Table we are testifying that we want to be broken like Jesus. Ask God to show you the area where we need to be broken, where my heart is still hard and where I don’t have light on my evil habits. God is please in our broken sacrifices. Let us come to Him with humility and a broken heart as we participate in the Lord’s table.
