The Eden Walk
Olive Trees
Station 1
My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.
Isaiah 56:7
1. New Beginnings
In the story of Noah’s Ark, after the rains and flood had ended, Noah “sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground” (Gen 8:8). When the dove returned, there was a freshly picked olive leaf in its beak. God then places a rainbow in the sky to signify His promise to renew and restore the earth. A new day began, bursting with potential and promise. And the signpost to this new beginning was a leaf from an olive tree.
2. Learning
Jesus loved teaching. Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus constantly sharing lessons about God and teaching others how to live empowered lives, caring for and including others. Jesus’ teaching style was fun, humorous, and engaging, and he used lots of different props and settings to explain things.
Jesus’ love for teaching and learning continued throughout his entire life. In fact, even on the cross, Jesus was sharing the most important lesson for all humankind – receive God’s forgiveness and forgive one another.
One of the many places Jesus taught was the Mount of Olives. This was on a mountain ridge outside Jerusalem. It was named this because of the many Olive groves growing at the mountain’s base. Jesus shared many significant lessons on this mountain (Matthew 24-25). Whenever we see an Olive Tree, we can remind ourselves that Jesus was inquisitive, encouraged others to learn, and was always ready to teach others about the things of God.
3. Prayer
Jesus also went to the Mount of Olives regularly to pray (Lk 21:37, 22:39). On the night He was betrayed and arrested, Jesus went to a specific section called The Garden of Gethsemane to pray (Mk 14:31). The literal translation for this place is “olive press”. It is where people would gather olives from the trees, crush them in a stone press, and collect the olive oil.
When Jesus faced His greatest task, He went to an Olive Tree Garden and invested time in prayer. He knew that by connecting with God in prayer, He would receive help and the strength needed to persevere and complete the task before Him. The next time you see an Olive Tree, pause and reflect on this timeless truth: Jesus never outgrew prayer.
Putting it All Together
As you enter Macquarie College, we encourage you to reflect on and integrate these principles from the Olive Tree.
- Every day, you have a new beginning here.
Your potential is not capped by the limitations of yesterday. Jesus celebrates your uniqueness, and so do we. Every person in our community, students, parents, teachers, and staff, is offered the same opportunities to flourish and grow in character.
- Cultivate a love for learning.
Jesus modelled to us a passion for teaching and education. In fact, the word disciple literally means “learner’. As disciples of Christ, we honour God by embracing an attitude of learning.
- Anchor yourself in prayer.
Praying is such an easy thing to do. You don’t need to use fancy words – just be yourself. Invite God into your world. As you share more and more with Him, you will find the same source of strength Jesus and the disciples relied upon.
Delve Deeper
Learn more about how olive oil was used in bible times:
Olive Oil Usages:
- Food
- Medicine
- Lamp oil
- Anointing oil
- Sacrificial Oil
Did you know?
‘Christ’ is not Jesus’ surname? It is actually a title and means: “anointed one”. In the Bible, to be anointed was to have a specific mixture of olive oil and other fragrances poured over you. It signified that the place or person was set apart for a unique role or task to carry out. Jesus’ Christ’, or more specifically Jesus’ the Anointed One’, is God’s Son, set apart before creation, tasked with bringing us back into a vibrant relationship with God.
Healthy Living
Did you know Olive Oil is known for its health benefits all over the world?
Here are some fun recipes to try out at home:
MC Eats
We love a healthy, balanced diet, bursting with taste and colour.
In MC Eats, we infuse Olive Oil in the following meals:
- Salad dressing
- MC Salsa (Haystacks)
- Muesli slice
