We are in the days leading up to Easter and the celebration of Christ’s resurrection.

I invite a group of Muslim friends into my salon—a Middle Eastern-styled living room. On the coffee table, I’ve arranged an assortment of intriguing objects. Each item tells part of the Easter story. Some objects come from Christian traditions; others are from the local culture. Each one has been carefully selected to communicate meaningfully to Muslim women.

A large bowl filled with sand signifies the desert, where God leads us to hear His voice and be renewed by Him.

A handful of stones remind us that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

There is a clear tea glass tinted deep purple and ringed with gold. It represents repentance.

A bottle of oil stands for baptism and the Holy Spirit.

A white candle represents the pure and sinless Christ who is the Light of the World.

In the weeks leading up to Easter, I add a new object to this visual recounting of the resurrection. My curious friends visit, eager to discover new items and the piece of the story each piece reveals.

As my friends settle into my salon, their eyes dart over to the display, searching for a new object. They’re polite, and yet I see that they feel pained to be kept waiting to hear more of the Easter story.

I bring out a small bottle of expensive perfume purchased in the local market. I open it, and the scent fills the room. We read the first half of Mark 14. The passage begins with religious leaders plotting Jesus’ death, and it ends with Judas agreeing to hand him over.

In the middle of all this evil—in the midst of men’s failure to grasp who Jesus is—a woman shows up. In spite of criticism, she courageously pours out her perfume—and her love—anointing Jesus with perfume valued at a year’s salary.

And Jesus honors her.

My friends love the story. When it’s time for them to leave, I give each woman a small vial of perfume to take home.

“Wear this scent so you don’t forget how the woman poured out her love to Jesus,” I say, “and how He honored her.”

That little vial of perfume is a reminder that they can be part of the Easter story, too.

• Ask God to remind these women that Christ honors them enough to die for them.
• Pray that Muslims would have their minds and hearts opened to the truth of the resurrection.
• Ask the Lord to give Frontiers teams creative ways to share the Gospel with local men and women this Easter.

**This account comes from a long-term worker.**

Original article: www.frontiersusa.org/blog/article/the-scent-of-honor