Throughout the Old Testament, an “aroma” is mentioned as something pleasing to the Lord, especially those from sacrifices made before the Lord.

The very first mention of God smelling the aroma of a burnt offering is found in Genesis 8:21. Scholars argue that the importance of the aroma is about atonement and the people of God acknowledging sin, more than the smells themselves. God was pleased with the sacrifice and Noah’s honoring God’s righteousness requirement and in return gave the promise to never again destroy the earth and everything upon it with a flood.

In Leviticus 1:9, a pleasing aroma is mentioned in connection with the various offerings of Jewish tabernacle worship. It can be argued that here too, that it is the action rather than the actual smoke of the burnt offering that God favors.

The intent behind the offering is what seems to matter most as God desires authentic devotion and acts of love. Jesus demonstrated this shift in understanding that shift our understanding as disciples away from presenting God with burnt offerings and allowing our lives and actions to become the aroma pleasing to God.

Ephesians 5:2 offers what many claim in identifying Jesus death on the cross as the greatest gesture of love imaginable, “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

This Sunday we will conclude our Lenten journey of worshipping through our senses, by highlighting smell. Aromas intended to be pleasing to the Lord will be discovered in Matthew 26:6-13 where a woman anoints Jesus with an expensive jar perfume.

We will explore the ramifications from this story as well as our own faithful actions as disciples of Jesus.