A Triumphal Procession (#16 of 365+)

When I learned last week that October 12th was going to be a school district holiday, I requested to take today off from work so my son and I could be together. Now that I’ve been studying my
devotional for over three hours I’m thankful that I don’t need to get to the office. The verses Joni picked for today are two of the richest verses I’ve read in a very long time: “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” (2 Corinthians 2:14-15)

Paul wrote those words from his perspective as a Roman citizen. Back then, military successes both small and great were celebrated very publicly. A general would lead the lengthy procession to display both sides of the triumph. At the front were the Roman soldiers wearing laurel wreaths to symbolize their achievement, and at the rear were the spoils of war and the captured enemy soldiers. Pagan priests would walk along, carrying incense burners to fill the entire city with a sweet fragrance that would linger on their clothing for days. Maybe this is where the phrases, “Victory is sweet” and “The smell of victory” had their origin.

I wondered what gave Paul this mental image as he wrote a letter to the Corinthians.

As I did some further research I found out that 2 Corinthians 2:14 is the beginning of what some biblical scholars call “the great digression”. Something huge must have happened to Paul in Macedonia (v.13) because he goes off on a tangent for five chapters all the way to 7:5. When looking at Luke’s historical account of Paul’s 2nd missionary journey in Acts 16, I found out the Holy Spirit had given Paul a vision to go to region of Macedonia. So he and Silas obeyed and when they reached Philippi they were falsely accused, flogged, and thrown into jail. That night, while singing hymns of praise to God, they experienced a miraculous prison release by earthquake that demonstrated the power of God and led to the salvation of the jailer’s entire family.

So, at the time Paul wrote these chapters, the sweet smell of his most recent hard-won victory in the Spirit was still lingering around him. Since we know how he lived out the rest of his life it would be safe to assume that he never bragged nor forgot about any of his spiritual experiences. Rather, they gave him a boldness in his testimony that fueled his ministry and inspired words that would impact the world for thousands of years to come.   

Dear Lord, thank you for this opportunity to reflect upon past triumphs and to seek your direction for the future. I know the victory is already yours. May I be obedient and sacrificial as Paul was, and follow wherever you lead. Amen.