I wanted to title this “John Lennon’s Theology Better than Pope’s,” but I thought better of it. The Pope in a major gesture of magnanimity forgave John Lennon for saying in a March 1966 interview, “”We’re more popular than Jesus now.” However, in a certain sense Lennon was right.
The Beatles were more popular with God the Father than God the Son was. He choose the Beatles over Jesus. He sent Jesus to the cross, not the Beatles. He treated Jesus as if He blasphemed not the Beatles. Rather than give up His beloved Beatles, the Father gave up His only beloved Son. God loved the Beatles more than His Son. All you really do need is that kind of love. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Be on the lookout for the Pope, this one or another, not only pardoning Martin Luther in 1517 but canonizing him as a saint. If this happens, we’ll be able to celebrate two things. 100 million people being set Ablaze! and Luther finally becoming a saint.
Scratch that. The Ablaze! part may not happen. As of last week 9,370,336 people have been ignited. By my calculations, always problematic, we needed to have lit the fire of 30,769,231 people by now. So we’re 69.5% behind. Well, if we don’t meet our goal, perhaps the Pope will pardon us while he’s canonizing Luther. Even better, what if that “cannon” shot is not only heard around the world but starts it Ablaze!?
The funny thing is the world is already ablaze. It’s been that way since the Lord Jesus poured out His fiery Spirit on all flesh fulfilling John’s words: “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Luke 3:16). Hence why Paul (Romans 12:1) could invite us to be living burnt offerings. As the waters that flooded the earth while saving eight were already present on it, so the fire that will destroy the earth while saving us is already kindled. Isn’t that what Jesus said in Luke 12:49? “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” Surely the Lord didn’t wait 2000 years for the LCMS to kindle it.
