The smell of olives Matthew 26:36-39 23.3.14 36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
What did Jesus smell at this time? Fear- his own fear, apathy/tiredness of his disciples (if you could smell that) and possibly the burning torches coming for him. I image he could smell the aroma of fresh olives (like the ones you received as you walked in this morning) for he was on the Mount of Olives.
It’s hardly a strong smell. That distinctive smell of olives which you either love or hate is actually the brining agent of sugars, salts and herbs. A blog of a girl who gives her name non-de-plume as “In a pickle” writes that she hates olives and whenever she kisses her boyfriend who loves them all I could taste were those gross olives. Even weeks later it’s all I can smell whenever he gets close. Yuk she said.
However, we are talking about fresh olives this morning. It’s the freshness surrounding this event in Jesus’ passion, leading to his death. This morning we are going to look at the contrast in this. How it actually jars with what is happening within Jesus in his soul and then what this means for our soul.
Not only is there that fresh, living smell here, in this olive grove, there is the smell of freedom. That is the freedom of being outside compared with the confines of the upper room. Jesus and his disciples used to come here often when he was in Jerusalem. He loved this park. This freedom is in contrast to the pressure that Jesus was under. Do you know of the irony of being in happy place when you are feeling depressed? Slaving away when everyone is on holidays? It like being lonely in a crowd or old where everyone around is so young. It is out of place. I reckon this is the contrast of this beautiful, still park with the ugly churning turmoil that Jesus experienced within. Jesus felt compelled to be here in this garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives called Gethsemane “to drink of this cup of suffering” as he put it. “Gethsemane” comes from an old Aramaic word that means olive press. So there could quite probably been an olive press nearby and the smell of olives would have been quite strong. This is what his nostrils were taking in. This is what his soul was undergoing. Gethsemane, the olive press. It is quite a heavy image. Someone has describes Gethsemane as Jesus’ “olive press”. It was there in Gethsemane that the weight of human sin and guilt was placed on Him and all but crushed Him to death. Can you see that contrast here - freedom with depression?
What’s more the symbol of olives trees: in the Old Testament it is a symbol of prosperity – of being blessed. This is all in contrast with Jesus apparent being curse, his abject poverty and his deep struggle within. The olive branch is a symbol of peace and rescue comes from early Christian times, depicted as a dove with an olive branch in its beak and allusion to dove that Noah sent out of the ark. (See Genesis 8:11) - Jesus had no peace in Gethsemane. No one would rescue him from his fate. The olive trees give life – Jesus was on the point of death.
Thirdly, olive oil is used in lighting – it lit the torches of those who coming to arrest him, it was eaten with bread, medicine to sooth and heal and for anointing to set apart. Again this is in strong contrast with what Jesus’ soul is going through. He is in the dark- literarily in the dark, and there is the darkness of this whole situation expressed so succinctly by Jesus a little later on the cross, “My God my God why have you forsaken me.” Answer me when I call. Isn’t this the dark night of the soul for Jesus here? Food would be the last thing on Jesus’ mind now. Jesus has had his last meal and there was no nourishment for his soul Medicine – he would even be denied that. He had been anointed as prophet, priest and king but that seemed to mean nothing as he struggled in Gethsemane. This Jesus – a king! He doesn’t seem much like a king here. He isn’t seen as anything special. In fact later we see how this is actually used his kingship to mock him.
Yet in this contrast, this paradox- conflicting opposites, the truth is actually present. And we see that truth when we take hold of it in faith. So, briefly what does the olive grove, the olive tree, the olive oil say to us?
We have fresh faith, freedom and life through what Jesus has done for us. To realize that Jesus went through all this for us gives us a fresh faith- a renewal in our love for him. Yes, it gives us freedom, free from the constraints, expectations and demands that threaten to crush us. We trust in God and that sets us free. It gives us life as Jesus calls it “Life in all it’s fullness”(See John 10:10) a life we can live for God and the people around us. We are set free from self-centred-ness.
The olive tree reminds us that God blesses us. We can say with the Psalmist: But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever. (Psalm 52:8) The olive branch is a symbol of peace –We have that peace – a fruit of the Spirit, won for us through Jesus’ victory over the darkness of Gethsemane, the suffering inflicted in the following hours and his death on the cross.
Thirdly, Jesus gives our soul, all that the olive oil gives the body. Our soul rests secure in the light of Jesus, the light of the world. (See John 8:12) It nourishes itself on Jesus and his forgiveness in Holy Communion (See Matthew 26:28) The oil of this healing is poured upon the wounds that our soul has sustained. It may be the words of comfort and encouragement of Scripture, the listening ear of a compassionate fellow believer, a word from a devotion or sermon that soothes us- but it God’s action. He pours out that oil on us. Finally, the oil of anointing. We are set apart as God’s people, claimed by God. This happened at our Baptism, and for this purpose God used water. (In fact the oil of chrism can be used as part of the rite too after the actual baptism, to remind us that the person baptised has become a member of Christ’s royal priesthood.) Our soul needs to know that we are special to God. We are special, set apart because of what Jesus has done for us, a part of which happened on the Mount of Olives.
Olive grove, olive trees, olive oil: a contrast of what Jesus went through and was deprived of so that we can have all this which God gives us and, our consequent life because of it. May we appreciate Jesus’ love and his gift, take hold of it and grow in “as an olive tree, flourishing in the house of God” producing fruit for those around to have light nourishment, healing as God makes his claim on them too. Amen Pastor Leon Rosenberg GGLF