Mr. McBeevee

From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man's hand comes back to him. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult. Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit. There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment. Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy. (Proverbs 12:14-20 ESV).

Some time ago I did a series on Sunday evenings at Santa Fe Baptist Church where we took an episode of the Andy Griffin Show and discussed the moral implications of the storyline. It was fun watching the old shows; and, even more entertaining when we looked at the moral in light of the Scripture. In the opening show of Season 3 Opie weaves the fabulous tale of Mr. McBeevee, a man who walks in the treetops, wears a silver hat, has twelve extra hands, blows smoke from his ears, and jingles when he walks as if he had rings on his fingers and bells on his toes. But other than those few quirks, Mr. McBeevee is normal. Andy and Barney laugh it off, but when Opie brings back a quarter he claims was given to him by his friend, Andy is forced to call the stories to a halt. Faced with the threat of a spanking, Opie is still unable to betray the existence of Mr. McBeevee. Andy may have to accept the unacceptable in the face of Opie's insistence. Later, when out for a walk, Andy happens past the very same tree Mr. McBeevee, a telephone linesman, is working in. Andy gets his own introduction to the man who walks in the trees and Opie is vindicated. The real key principle is revealed as Andy, Aunt Bee, and Barney sat around the dinner table after yet another evening of McBeevee stories. Andy decided it was time to put an end to the nonsense. Andy demanded that Opie admit he had been making up the adventures. But even under the threat of a “whippin’,” the boy would not recant. “I ain’t lyin’, Pa. Promise.” Opie told his father. Andy retreated downstairs and stared into space. “Did you punish him?” Aunt Bee asked. “No,” Andy quietly said. Barney was shocked at Andy’s failure to act. “Don’t tell me you believe in Mr. McBeevee!” “No,” Andy replied, “but I do believe in Opie.” Andy’s trust in Opie was rewarded the next day when he met Mr. McBeevee, who turns out to be a hard-hatted telephone lineman with a belt full of jingling tools. As our reading reminds us: Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment. We should all practice the control of our “lips.”