Olive Trees and the Garden of Gethsemane
John 18: 1-2 "When he had finished praying, Jesus left with
his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there
was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it. Now Judas,
who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there
with his disciples.” (The olive grove mentioned is the Garden
of Gethsemane)
Last November I visited the Holy Land with a wonderful group of
people from our church and some other United Methodist churches in
Michigan. It was an incredible experience and one I will never
forget. To sail along the sea of Galilee where Jesus performed
miracles, to visit the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized, walk
the streets of Bethlehem and Jerusalem, (just to name a few), and to
breathe the same air that Jesus breathed and walk where He walked was
phenomenal.
A touching and heartfelt experience I had was when we visited the
Garden of Gethsemane. It was a beautiful day with sunshine and blue
skies. I was fascinated with the olive trees and was told that some
trees in the garden may have been the same ones from the time of
Jesus because olive trees can live for a few thousand years.
I thought about Jesus entering the garden the night before his
crucifixion and his words to Peter, James and John. "My soul is
overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. (Mark 14:34). Jesus
was clearly suffering and wrestling with the pain of betrayal and
heartbreak.
How many of us have felt that way during difficult times? We feel
defeated, unable to cope, emotionally drained and wondering what to
do. This is where I find a relationship between Jesus and his
challenges, our own personal struggles and the olive tree.
The olive tree is a symbol of why our hearts must go through crushing
times. First, in order to be fruitful, the trees must have both east
wind and west wind. The east wind is the dry hot wind from the
desert. This is a harsh wind. The west wind, on the other hand, comes
from the Mediterranean. It brings rain and life. The olive tree needs
both of these winds to produce fruit, and so do we! We need both the
winds of hardship and the winds of relief to glide across our life if
we are to be fruitful.
Another interesting fact about the olive is how naturally bitter it
is and what it must go through to be useful. For the olive to be
edible it goes through a lengthy process which includes, washing,
breaking, soaking, and sometimes salting. It is a lengthy process to
be cured of bitterness. Like an olive, we are to escape the natural
bitterness of the human heart and we have to go through a long
process as well in order to be cured.
The final thing to consider about the olive is not to focus on the
bitterness, but to focus on how strong and hard it is when it is
picked right off the tree. If you're harvesting olives for oil, you
must hope for a soaking rain that lasts a good two to three hours so
the water can make it all the way up the roots, through the tree and
to the olives. Then the olives can be picked and preserved. The best
way to preserve an olive is to crush it and extract the oil from it.
The same is true for us. In order for us to be preserved, we need to
be pressed. And being pressed can certainly feel like being crushed.
2 Corinthians 4:8 says, "we are pressed but not crushed"
verses 8 and 9 in the KJV says, "We are troubled on every side,
yet not distressed: we are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted
but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed."
Crushing is the way of preservation for the olive. It is also the way
to get what is most valuable, the oil, out of the olive. The same
applies to our circumstances during troubled times. We may be pressed
to the point of being crushed, but never crushed and destroyed.
I'll never forget my visit to the Garden of Gethsemane, and when I
think back about my time among the olive trees, I must remember: When
the sorrowful winds of the east blow, I need to know they are
necessary. When I'm being processed, I must remember it is for the
sake of getting rid of my bitterness. When I'm being crushed, I need
to know it is for the sake of my preservation. Rev. McGee gave me a
leaf from an olive tree in the Garden of Gethsemane and it is neatly
pressed in my Bible. I cherish that little leaf! For me it is a
perfect symbol of strength and preservation. Amen.
Cindy Rolka
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