The last time that the New England Patriots were in the Super Bowl was seven years ago against the Rams. Much of that game was close, hard fought, defensive in nature. Both teams couldn’t get much going on offense and it was a tense, low scoring nail-biter. Finally, the Pats moved the ball down the field and got a touchdown with just seven minutes remaining in the game. That proved to be the difference and they went on to win.

The post game analysis revealed that the Patriots had decided in the fourth quarter to get back to basics, to simplify their game plan, and to stick to the very few plays that seemed to be working. 

They needed to get back to basics and I would dare say that all of our readings this weekend are about exactly that… getting back to basics.

Isaiah’s message is consistent with Christ’s in his Sermon on the Mount, insisting that the way forward mostly comes from doing things like sharing our bread with the hungry and clothing the naked.

The basics.

Saint Paul reveals in his letter to the Corinthians that he didn’t come to them with great theological insight and wisdom, but rather in weakness and in fear.

The basics.

And in today’s Gospel, Jesus asks his followers to spread light in the world simply by doing good deeds.

The basics.

Because humans are complicated, we can have a tendency to overcomplicate things. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that… unless doing so causes us to lose sight of what’s most important. When that happens, then maybe like the Patriots in the last Super Bowl, we too need to simplify.

What does simplifying look like? Here are three examples.

First… much like the parable where the rich man donated lots of money and made sure that everyone within sight witnessed his generosity versus the poor widow who gave not from her surplus and without any fanfare, we are asked to be giving and to seek no recognition for it.

Second… we don’t need years of study or a sharp and battle tested intellect in order to proclaim the Gospel.

This year’s Super Bowl Patriots have a saying: “We all we got, we all we need.” In other words, we have everything we need in order to win.

You and I have everything we need; like Saint Paul, we just have to be willing to share what we believe. And like Saint Paul, it’s ok to bring our fears and weaknesses to that task.

Third… and is the hardest one of all. We are, as you know, a divided culture… and it seems that we’re getting more and more divided all the time. That’s because division and outrage engage and captivate… and because you can monetize those things; they feed the algorithms.

You can’t monetize forgiveness, humility, and love. 

Jesus looked at a world filled with division and gave us the antidote. He said… from where you are standing, look over at the person who you most disagree with, whose views you dislike, and who you struggle to even understand. And then… don’t despise them, don’t avoid them, don’t even judge them. In fact, try to love them, forgive them, and view them the very same way that Christ does… through eyes of mercy and compassion. 

Today’s readings invite us to simplify and to get back to basics. To do so, we got all we need. We got Jesus.