1 –“Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.”
This proverb is a better-than saying. It is better to eat a dry piece of toast in the peace and quite of your own home, than to be in a house full of family eating a meal with strife. This verse speaks to family drama. A favorite t-shirt of mine that I liked to wear as a youth minister, especially on the first day of a week long youth trip, had these words to share – “Save the Drama for your Mama.” The tshirt was intended to communicate, “We don’t want any of your drama on this trip, take it back to your family.” Sometimes there is more drama within our families. I had a friend who joked about his own family, “we put the fun in dysfunctional.” Family drama is difficult, it hurts when there is conflict, we long for piece and quiet. The family drama in this proverb is described as a full house “feasting with strife,” which literally means “sacrifices of conflict.” Families would gather for a celebration of a religious festival and then eat the meat offered as a sacrifice.
Another verse in Proverbs 17 that could help us avoid the family drama and conflict is verse 27 – “One who spares words is knowledgeable; one who is cool in spirit has understanding.” Those who use words with restraint and are even-tempered are the ones with wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. When we find the family drama level rising around the dinner table, may we keep our calm and choose our words carefully.
Matt