Be Like Brady [Epiphany 5B]

The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson

Mark 1:29-39

Be Like Brady

You’ve probably heard: today is Super Bowl Sunday.  It’s such a big deal even Fr. Brendan knows there is a football game today – though I’m not sure he knows which teams are playing.  It’s the Eagles and the Patriots.

Now I don’t want to appear partisan in such a divisive and charged environment, but it is worth pointing out that our Old Testament lesson today does say that those who wait for the Lord shall…mount up with wings like Eagles.  Now, I’m not saying that God wants the Eagles to win, I would never say that, but it is possible that the prophet Isaiah does.  And he is a prophet, so might it possible that this morning’s Scriptures foretell an Eagles victory tonight?  Probably not. 

Most of you know that I am a Browns fan – not the easiest thing in Broncos’ country; I face a lot of peer pressure to convert; that will never happen.  And because I am a Browns fan, I know better than anyone how difficult it is for a team to make it to the Super Bowl (which the Browns have never done), let alone win.  And so even all of those Broncos fans out there, who cannot stand Tom Brady, have to admit that it is simply amazing that tonight Brady will play in his eighth Super Bowl and try for his sixth Super Bowl victory. 

Now the thing about Tom Brady is: he’s not the best athlete; he’s not the fastest runner; he’s not exactly what one might describe as nibble.  Judging by interviews, he’s not the most intelligent person in the world.  There are quarterbacks with stronger arms and more precise accuracy.  His biceps do not really bulge; his abs are not chiseled.  He was famously drafted in the sixth round of the NFL draft, pick number 199, after sharing snaps in college with a guy named Drew Henson. 

And yet, by most accounts, Tom Brady is now considered the best quarterback of all-time, maybe the greatest football player of all-time.  And that is because, more than anyone else, he is willing to do what it takes to be the greatest.  He is absolutely obsessed with winning, obsessed with being the best.  And I mean really obsessed.  He has every day scheduled out: his treatments, his workouts, the food he will eat, his recovery time, the film study, his team and position meetings, and the time he will rest.  Not for the week.  Not for the season.  But for the next three years.[1]  And he keeps the schedule even when he is on vacation, which must be great fun for his wife and kids. 

His teammates, even those who have played with other Hall of Famers, say he is the most intense person they have ever been around.  He wakes up as early as 3:30am to watch film by himself, when no coaches are even around to give him credit.[2]  And puts in upwards of 16 hours per day – until he knows every tendency of the team he will face any given Sunday.  And he prepares obsessively, not just for the Super Bowl, but for, like, week 5 against the Jets – which, of course, is not really even necessary, because it’s the Jets. 

Now most of us would prefer much more balanced lives than that.  And were we to throw ourselves so fully into something, most likely it would not be into being great at a game.  But even so, in some ways I find myself jealous of Tom Brady’s deep dedication.  For football of all things, he has built around himself a life of discipline and sacrifice, a kind of undistracted singleness of heart and mind that allow him to be the very best version of himself on the football field.  And truth be told, I wish I were able to give myself that completely to a life of prayer, to my relationship with God, to the work God has given me to do.

It reminds me of the deep dedication, the singular devotion, of the desert fathers of old.  “They told this story of John the Short.  He went to live with a hermit… who was living in the desert of Scetis.  His abba once took a dead stick and planted it, and told him, ‘Pour a jug of water over its base every day until it bears fruit.’  Water was so far from their cell that John had to go off every evening to fetch it, and it was dawn before he returned.  At the end of three years the stick turned green and bore fruit.”[3]

The truth is: there are no shortcuts on any journey worth taking.  Any life worth living is one defined by sacrifice and dedication.  This is what captures me about today’s Gospel reading.  Jesus’ deep dedication and singular devotion to his mission is incredible.  We often think of Jesus’ life in terms of sacrifice because of the Cross.  But sacrifice defined the life of Jesus, not just his death.  He could have had success and stability, power and fame.  Look at those crowds; he could have lived a comfortable life of luxury in Capernaum.  But he sacrificed his life every moment of his ministry – giving himself completely to the mission to which God had called him. 

The whole city gathered around his door, desperate for salvation, for healing, for a word of hope.  And he healed them, saved them, spoke into their lives.  And when he was done, there was more to do, because the world never runs out of need.  And when there was a break in the crowd, even a slight pause, he stole away to do the hard prep work of prayer – in the darkness of the morning – even though no one was around to give him credit.  Jesus understood his mission, his purpose, and he dedicated his heart and soul, and eventually his life, to that mission.

Now I’m not Jesus and neither are you.  Jesus sets a pretty impossible standard.  And thankfully God knows that.  And I should also make clear that I don’t think the purpose of life is to be busy; sure, Jesus keeps up a pretty impressive pace in Mark’s Gospel, but I don’t think that is the takeaway from today’s Gospel lesson. 

But I do think that we are called, in baptism, by God, to grow into the full stature of Christ.  And I think that means that we are called to give ourselves, fully, with deep devotion, rigorous discipline, and great sacrifice, to the work to which God has called us.  Each and every one of us has been blessed by God with great gifts and a unique calling – gifts and callings that are well-worth our best efforts. 

There is plenty of work to do.  The state of our world is pretty far from Heaven.  And so our work comes with some holy urgency.  In a world in which the need overwhelming, God has us.  We are the ones God is calling to complete the work, to make the dream the reality, to usher in the reign of God on this earth.  I mean, it won’t get the ratings of the Super Bowl, but that’s still a pretty big deal, a pretty important mission. 

I guess what I’m saying is: I think it’s time the Church get a little obsessed with our mission, to throw ourselves into a life of prayer, to let the Good News of God’s love loose in our lives and in our world – to really put our hearts into this thing.  Because when we do, day in and day out, I think we will start to see a difference, I think we’ll see new life in the dead stick; I think we will see some Heaven on this earth.

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[1] https://247sports.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/Bolt/SI-Provides-In-Depth-Look-At-Tom-Bradys-Preparation-Longevity--33782498

[2] https://www.gq.com/story/tom-brady-routine-how-he-became-the-nfls-best-quarterback

[3] Williams, Rowan.  Where God Happens, 144-5.