Why does the world have to hate Christians? It’s simple— it is because we smell like cauliflower!
Jesus said that the world (unbelievers) would hate His followers because they hated Him. John 15:19-25 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’”
Why did the world hate Jesus? As light, He exposed the sin in them. John 1:4-5 “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” They hated the sin they saw in themselves, but refused to surrender to Him, so they hated Him! With Him around, they couldn’t forget what they were truly like. They weren’t able to hide their sin from Him or themselves!
The world didn’t like the “smell” of Jesus. They liked the smell of the world. Let’s say the world smells like steak on an open grill. Can’t you almost catch a whiff of it right now. It smells good! The world likes its own smell. It loves those people and things that smell like steak.
Jesus did not smell like the world. They thought He smelled more like cauliflower! And they hated the smell of cauliflower! So, when we become Christians, “little Christs,” we become like Jesus. We have the aroma of the Son of God.
We are conformed into the image of Jesus more and more daily. Romans 8:29 “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.” Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
So guess what we smell like? That’s right! Cauliflower! That’s why the world hates us. It’s not just because we verbally claim the name of Jesus, but because we are so like Him that we smell like Him. Because we are like Jesus, we will be light to the world. We will bring Him Glory because we will remind the world of Jesus, and we will remind the world of their sin before Him!
Copyright © 2010-2011 Sharon Jensen — Adapted from HIStory Bible Timeline: An Inductive Observation Bible Study Guide for All of HIStory
