On the Andy Griffith Show episode “Man in a Hurry,” Malcolm Tucker is a wealthy businessman from Charlotte. One Sunday, he has car trouble a couple of miles outside of Mayberry. Malcolm walks the rest of the way to town and meets Andy coming out of Sunday morning worship.
Andy offers to assist Malcolm, but warns that it is nearly impossible to get anything done in Mayberry on a Sunday in May. Malcolm begins to lose patience when Wally, the filling station owner, refuses to fix his car because it is his policy not to work Sundays. Furthermore, Malcolm is dumbfounded when he learns that he can’t even use the telephone because the elderly Mindelbright sisters use the party line to visit Sunday afternoons, since they are unable to get around very well.
Back at the Taylor house, things don’t get much better for Malcolm. He explodes into a tirade, screaming that the citizens of Mayberry are living in another world–that this is the 20th century. While the whole world is living in a desperate Space Age, the town of Mayberry shuts down because two old ladies’ feet fall asleep.
Out on the front porch Malcolm actually begins to relax as Barney and Andy sing the old spiritual “Church in the Wildwood.” But this calm is short-lived when Gomer informs Malcolm that his cousin Goober has offered to fix the car. Later, when Gomer returns with the car, Malcolm is surprised that there is no charge for the repair since it was just a clogged fuel line. Goober actually considered it an honor to work on such a fine machine.
As Mr. Tucker prepares to leave, he stops to contemplate the events of the afternoon and his return to the demands of his hectic life. Malcolm realizes that the very characteristics of Mayberry life that initially frustrated him so much are, in fact, the priorities he needs to establish in his own life. He decides to put his business on hold and stay the night in Mayberry.
I think the episode is so popular because we can all see ourselves in Malcolm Tucker. We can all get caught up in our daily activities to the extent that we are blinded to everything else going on around us. When things don’t go our way, we explode! One man said, “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.
Martha got mad at her sister Mary for sitting at Jesus’ feet and not helping her in the kitchen. Luke 10:38-42: “And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” In the busyness of life we should take time to be at Jesus’ feet. If you are too busy to take time to be at Jesus’ feet, to pray and to read the Bible, you are too busy!
Listen to Pastor Jack’s sermons every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. on 98.9 WSIP FM. He is also on most other podcast and video platforms. Apple Podcasts provides complete transcripts for each episode. Check out the Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church Facebook page and our website at www.tomahawkmbc.com.