Whatever You Ask

S​oon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples. Luke 8:1-3

Meditate. Read the scripture passage again.

     Jesus went throughout the Galilee region preaching and teaching about the Good News—that the Kingdom of God was at hand—was here! Great News. There were likely at least twenty people with Jesus, His disciples and supporters. That’s a lot of people to feed and house. How did they do it? I’d like to imagine that when it came time for a meal…God provided just like when Jesus fed the 5,000 men and their families. We don’t have a record of that—just remember that Jesus said…

You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. John 15:16 (Underlined for emphasis.)

 Whatever you ask. Jesus was asking His followers, His disciples, and supporters to follow Him, to do what He did. Jesus was continually asking God for His guidance. He said several times that He said and did what the Father told Him.  

So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. John 5:19

And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say. John 12:50

Teach, preach, and heal. Jesus was probably using this preaching and teaching time to train His disciples and strengthen the faith of those who were supporting Him as they walked the dusty trails and roads around Galilee. There He spoke in parables, as we will see in the following blogs. 

     What do we learn about Jesus from this scripture passage?

Prayer ~ Jesus, please give us wisdom and guidance as we follow You. Thank You for revealing Yourself to us and sharing the Good News—eternal life with You! Help us to live our lives as a witness to Your salvation.

Verse of Salvation ~ He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:14 

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

Olives are one of the seven healing fruit of Israel and an amazing food. Olives come in several varieties and their color may simply depend on their ripeness. Black olives are ripe, whereas green ones are just that, green. The brown ones, my favorite, are kalamata, which are often served with Greek food. Olive oil is best when it is freshly pressed and the first pressing has the most beneficial nutrients. 

Olive oil is among the healthiest oil you can make or buy and can be used in many cooking and baking recipes. You can even use it sparingly as a moisturizer for your sin. It is a versatile and healthy food.  Olive oil was a mainstay in the diet and used for many things during Biblical times. They are packed with vitamin E and other antioxidants, which are known to be healthy for skin, bones, the circulatory system, and the brain. It has been shown to even reduce the risk of breast cancer. Additionally, olive oil has been shown to decrease the LDL cholesterol level and increase the HDL cholesterol level. Heart disease is lower in countries around the world that consume more olive oil in their daily diet. You’ve probably read that one way to improve your health is to drink a tablespoon of olive oil a day. Glub-glub! I’ve tried it. The better the oil the easier it is to swallow!

Large stones used to press olives to make olive oil.

Archeological park, Israel

Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane on the night that He was betrayed. Gethsemane mean oil press. It was where olive trees grew and the oil was pressed out of the olives with a huge stone. Even today olives are pressed with the first pressing known as extra virgin olive oil. It is the purest. The olives are pressed again and that oil is labeled virgin olive oil. If a bottle that you purchase is not labeled as virgin olive oil, then it has been refined in some way, like heating it which can damage the structure of the oil and make it lose some of its health benefits. 

One way to get your daily tablespoon is by dipping slices of French, Italian, or sour dough bread into some olive oil that has a splash balsamic vinegar and Italian herbs sprinkled on it. Yum!  A healthy fat. Eat some today!

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© 2026 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.  All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.  New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.