I was struck by the last 11 words of this passage written by Mary Baker Eddy:
“The Passover, which Jesus ate with his disciples in the month Nisan on the night before his crucifixion, was a mournful occasion, a sad supper taken at the close of day, in the twilight of a glorious career with shadows fast falling around; and this supper closed forever Jesus’ ritualism or concessions to matter” (S&H 32:28).
The paragraph is written in the context of explaining the spiritual significance of the bread and wine Jesus passed around the table during his last supper with his disciples before the crucifixion. But beyond that, the question that begged my attention was, “What rituals and concessions are you making to matter that need to stop now!”
To be honest, I can’t say I get up each day and think, “I’m going to make some concessions to matter today and perform some mindless rituals.” But honestly, it happens! And maybe I need to question those concessions and rituals more to see if I should be still making them, I decided.
How about you?
For instance, have you ever gotten up in the morning and conceded that you had a tough day to look forward to? That’s a harmful concession.
Have you approached winter, looked around and viewed friends and neighbors coughing and sneezing and thought, “I’m probably next.” That’s an unhealthy concession and ritual.
Have you ever finished a vigorous workout and thought, “My body is going to ache for a couple of days”?
Have you ever seen a grumpy spouse and thought, “That’s just the way he is”?
Have you ever thought, “I’m growing older and destined to gain weight”?
And the list goes on and on.
These, and more, are all concessions to mortal mind and rituals that perpetuate bad results.
When one lives to serve God and makes doing the divine will the most important part of daily activity, harmful concessions to mortality and outgrown mindless rituals that serve no spiritual purpose will become apparent. And they can be dropped.
What concessions have you been making to mortal mind that would be well to drop today?
Have to laugh at the photo of the beach “concession” stand you chose. I’m sure you beamed if not chuckled when you thought of that double entendre, Evan.
That’s a wide-ranging list of concessions you enumerated.
I know I’ve inadvertently conceded the belief that with every passing year one’s eyesight worsens. I’m only beginning to take a strong stand against that material-minded lie.
And I’ve conceded that certain people are just “that way” — self-absorbed, apathetic, or perpetual procrastinators — instead of refuting that contention with the spiritual facts.
Interestingly, I read the “concessions” line in S&H just last week and paused to ponder the many customs, habits, rituals and conventions that society thinks are inevitable and normal, from using caffeine as a stimulant to using animals for any number of less-than-noble purposes.
It’s encouraging to know that as we make honest confessions to our heavenly Father, and one by one stop making these salvation-slowing concessions, and learn to love our neighbor and ourselves more as God loves us, we become more Christlike. And more childlike.
Good ideas! Very helpful~
Grateful for the wonderful ideas shared, Ann.
Thank you for bringing this up! I will pay close attention to identifying and refusing to make those concessions. Sure glad God is on the job to help me! sas
Evan thank you for a very on task task to strive to achieve regularly!
Thanks for bringing attention to this, Evan. Concessions to matter can be so subtle, things everyone around us are accepting as the norm, so we do, too. I will now be more alert to this issue.
I so appreciate the spiritual depth of your post today…as well as the hilariously appropriate photo at the end! It took me by surprise and truly made my day! I’ll enjoy taking a “concession stand” against all mortal impositions…
The concessions are often in relation to others, -like, no I don’t honor my birthday, and my family knows it, but , what about the in laws, they get miffed.
No, I don’t celebrate Christmas in those ways any longer.
To the political letters, Yes, to Social Security, no to Medicare.
Yes, to helping women gain political office, no to abortion.
So many things are linked.