The Sweet Smell of Sacrifice

“I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God” (Philippians 4:18).

Men have a strange and wonderful relationship with cologne. It all started back when they were teenagers. Sometime around middle school, they actually want to be around girls and not keep them out of the treehouse. That’s also when they start using cologne for the first time. It usually starts with a quick splash of Dad’s Old Spice. But things escalate quickly. Before you know it, we buy our first bottle of Brut. That’s also when we guys buy into the lie that if a little smells good then a lot oughta be GREAT! (Hopefully, you’re not a middle age man and just hearing this for the first time!) The result is their aroma arrives about five minutes before we do. We also have a radioactive afterlife of almost an hour. Our aroma may be fragrant. But it is neither acceptable or pleasing.

In chapter four of his letter to his friends back in Philippi, Paul lets them know exactly what sort of fragrance God loves. “I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God” (v18). No, the Philippians didn’t send him a bottle of Drakkar Noir or Axe Body Spray. They’ve dug deep in order to provide their founding pastor some practical help during his time behind bars. The result is a beautiful aroma that rises all the way to God’s nostrils in heaven. And He absolutely loves it. You see, there’s no sweeter smell to Jesus than when we sacrifice for others. What's that cologne you're wearing? Is that "Acceptable Offering"?

In many ways, this book is actually Paul’s thank you note to a little church he started a few years back. When he and his crew first rolled into this Macedonian seaport and began telling everyone about Jesus, things got crazy very quickly. His personal physician Dr. Luke writes all about it (Acts 16:12-40). The story includes a fashionista named Lydia, a demon-possessed girl who’s a victim of human trafficking, and a brutal prison guard. Throw in a citywide riot, a little torture, a dungeon, some midnight worship in the cellblock, an violent earthquake, a prison break, and a suicide attempt. I’m telling you, you REALLY need to read your Bible! There’s some whacky stuff in there!! When you Google “how to start a church,” this probably wouldn’t be the model you’d follow. But God uses the apostle to plant the first fellowship in Europe. 

When these Philippian believers get wind that Paul’s doing time in Caesar’s Supermax, they send their man Epaphroditus to Rome with a care package. He writes and thanks them, “I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus fate gifts you sent” (v18). Earlier in this letter, the apostle expresses his sincere appreciation for sending the Big E to his side. Now it’s time for him to go home. “I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need” (Phil 2:25). The Philippians didn’t just sacrifice to send this man to Paul, it almost cost him his life! “He nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me” (Phil 2:29). Now that Epaphroditus’ has recovered, the apostle stuffs this note of thanks into his pocket and sends him home.

A quick read of verse 18 might lead you to believe the Philippians gave Paul a bottle of Polo. He talks about how they’ve sent him “a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God” (v18). The original Greek language here centers on the sense of smell. “Fragrant” is osme, which means odor, fragrance, and a sweet-smelling scent. Remember Mary’s extravagant act of worship for Jesus? She took a bottle of designer fragrance she had been saving and dumped it all over Christ. She “anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance (Gr. osme) of the perfume” (Jn 12:3). Imagine the beautiful bouquet in that house! 

Next the ESV translators use “offering,” but it’s actually another word (Gr. euodia) that makes you want to take a whiff of a sweet aroma. Interestingly, the other times we see this term in the NT, it’s always associated with a sacrificial act of worship. In his note to the Ephesian church, Paul says that Jesus’ love for us by offering Himself in our place is “a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Eph 5:2). And we see how God spreads the scent of our Savior everywhere we go. “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance (Gr. osme) of the knowledge of Him everywhere. For we are the aroma (Gr. euodia) of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance (Gr. osme) from death to death, to the other a fragrance (Gr. osme) from life to life” (2Cor 2:14-16). The next time someone asks you what cologne you’re wearing, just say “Jesus.”

Unlike a teenage boy headed to a date, this particular aroma won’t choke a mule. It’s “a sacrifice acceptable to God” (v18). He actually LOVES the smell of the Philippians’ gift to Paul. When we give a present to someone, we always hope that it’s appropriate. We go out of our way to make sure it’s the right size and right color. Well, when we give sacrificially to help others, it’s always an appropriate gift to God. Giving to others is actually an act of worship. By giving to others, we actually are giving to God. Don’t believe me? Jesus told His posse that when we reach out and do something for those on the fringes of society, we’re actually doing it for Him even when we don’t realize it (Mt 25:35-40).

The Old Testament is full of sacrifices that smell great to God (Gen 8:20-21; Ex 29:18; Lev 1:9, 13, 17). The prophet Micah makes it clear that the Lord’s not looking for a barbecue grill full of steaks and burnt offerings (Mic 6:6-7). “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Mic 6:8). Doing justice and loving kindness means doing for those who need help. On this side of the cross, we’re able to offer spiritual sacrifices that please God because of who Jesus is and what He’s done (1Pet 2:5). As a matter of fact, the writer of Hebrews directly connects many of the big ideas in the OT with Jesus and His followers. He says NT believers offer sacrifices similar to those at the temple. “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (Heb 13:16). He just loves the sweet smell of sacrifice.

Grown men learn to go easy on the cologne (hopefully). Paul says we don’t have to worry about putting on too much when it comes to a pleasing aroma to God. We can splash on all the sacrifice or giving we’ve got. Our Savior offered Himself for you and me. His Dad absolutely LOVED it! Feel free to splash on as much as you want. Go crazy. Our Heavenly Father can’t get enough of the sweet smell of sacrifice. What's that cologne you're wearing? Is that "Acceptable Offering"?