II Corinthians 2: The Smell of Death...and the Fragrance of Life?

"To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life" (vs. 15)

If you've ever had a dead rodent in your walls, you know how offensive the smell of death can be.  Paul says that Christians are "the aroma of Christ" in the world.  "Through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him" (vs. 14).  To some, that aroma is the smell of death, while to others it is the fragrance of life.

How can the same thing smell so differently to different people?  We see this still today, don't we?  Christians appear on the news or in the media, and some see the beauty of our love, the labor of our hearts, and the goodness of our intentions - and they praise God for us.  Others focus on the negatives - perhaps the exclusive nature of the gospel, our message of the seriousness of sin, or our warning to flee the wrath that is to come - and they curse us.  To them, we stink.  Yet - whether we smell sweet or sour - our calling remains the same: to be what God wants us to be!