In Memoriam - Shirley Olive: "Christ Our Servant"

+ In Memoriam – Shirley Olive + 

December 7, 2019

Mark 10:45

Beautiful Savior Lutheran

Milton, WA

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. 

If I were to ask you what greatness is, or looks like, what images or ideas would come to mind? Take a moment and think. What is greatness?

For some, I imagine, greatness is measured by one’s wealth, influence, or power. For others, greatness is measured by success, by winning awards, collecting trophies and the like. Still for others, greatness is measured by skill, a display of force, or by feats of strength. This is what greatness often looks like in the world, and in our day dreams as well.

In the kingdom of God, greatness however, looks far different. One day as Jesus was teaching his disciples, they asked him who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And to their surprise – and ours – Jesus didn’t mention a word about wealth, power, or strength. No. According to Jesus, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” According to Jesus, greatness is found in being last and least, and a servant of all.

As Jesus will say a chapter later in Mark 10, even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.  

God’s view of greatness, you see, is the exact opposite of what we expect. We expect power, strength, and self-reliance. Instead, Jesus says greatness is found hidden in his death on the cross, where his victory is hidden in his suffering and death. His glory is hidden in humility. His strength hidden in weakness. His power wrapped in sacrificial service in giving his life for you, as he did for Shirley.

And so, when I sat down with Dale and Diane in preparation for today’s service for our dear sister in Christ, Shirley, they told me many things about her. About her kindness. Care. Compassion and love, and so much more. But it all came back to that word that Jesus says is great: being a servant. 

From what I’ve heard about her, that was the theme of Shirley’s life. Shirley was a servant. Whether she was at home, in her neighborhood, at church, she was busy serving her family, friends, neighbors, and brothers and sisters in Christ. “How can I help?” she was fond of saying. 

Now, the world around us may not see being a servant as all that great of a thing, but according to Jesus’ words, it’s the greatest. And Shirley, I think, would be the first to tell us that her service was only great because there was someone whose service and life was far greater than her own, that of our Lord, the servant of all. You see, Shirley loved and served because Christ first loved and served her, as he does for each of you, by laying down his life to ransom, rescue, and redeem you.

Shirley’s love of serving others was born from Jesus’ love and service for her in his word and promise, the fruit of faith graciously given to her. Shirley’s love for others came from Jesus who served her in calling her his holy, beloved child in Baptism, who served her his body and blood at his holy table, who served her – as he does for each of us – by laying down his life to save us. 

That means that greatness looks like Jesus born in a humble manger for you. Greatness looks like Jesus who spent his in serving others: healing the sick, raising the dead, eating and drinking with sinners. Greatness looks like Jesus dying on the cross for you. Greatness looks like Jesus who came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for Shirley, and for you. 

Greatness looks like… Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 

Greatness looks like Jesus raising us from our lowly humble graves on the Last Day, where we will join Shirley and all the faithful departed in an eternal divine service before the Lamb who is slain and yet lives. 

For Shirley and for you, true greatness is found in Jesus’ selfless, self-giving, sacrificial love with which he serves you, now and forever.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.