The offensiveness of anointing

"Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." [Eph5:2 NIV]

Paul describes Jesus' love and sacrifice for us as a sweet smelling aroma, a fragrant offering. However, he didn't stop there. He also calls us the aroma of Christ as we abandon our lives to Him. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. [2 Cor 2:15 NIV]

The same sweet aroma is the aroma of life to some and the aroma of death to others. For some the fragrance of our lives awakens love and surrender to Christ, for others it exposes hidden motives, selfishness and hardened hearts. What is our experience when we see a fellow believer abandon their life to God as a fragrant offering to him? Are we offended? Do we arrogantly dismiss them as foolish? Do we delight in their fragrant offering or do we secretly hate what it exposes in our own hearts and desire to destroy it?

About a week before the Passover as Jesus was preparing to pour himself out on the cross, a woman prophetically poured expensive perfume over Jesus' head, anointing the anointed one.

"While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table." [Matt 26:6 NIV]

The fragrance filled the room. To some it was the fragrance of life and to some the fragrance of death. Jesus described her act as a beautiful thing, the fragrance of life preparing him for burial. The disciples, however, did not see it the same way. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” [Matt 26:8 NIV]

The disciples were offended, indignant, at this woman's abandoned offering. But the most offended by far was Judas. The woman's beautiful act had exposed all that was in his heart. For Judas it was the fragrance of death and he wanted to destroy it, he wanted to kill. His critical words desired to wound the woman, but it was the anointed one, the Christ, he wanted to kill. What is the very next thing Judas does? He gets up to betray Jesus.

"Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over." [Matt 26:14 NIV]

Betrayal. It goes as far back as the garden of Eden, cunningly deceptive. Joseph's brothers betrayed him for his favour. Cain was jealous and envious, betraying Abel. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.[Jas 3:16 NIV]

In January I saw a picture of oil being poured out and increasing in thickness as the year progresses. This anointing will bring a joining of hearts connected by the spirit but at the same time it will bring increasing division with those not aligned with His spirit. Just as the five wise and five foolish virgins, some are paying the price to keep their oil vessels full and some are not. Those who are found lacking in oil will persecute those with oil. May we be those who abandon our lives to Christ, pouring ourselves out as a drink offering pleasing to Him. As His fragrance fills the room, remember, to some we are the aroma of death and to some the aroma of life.