Proverbs 27:3  

A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,
but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

Fools have no common sense or self-control. They do not govern their actions. Thus, when the foolish person is provoked, he/she doesn’t care about the "weightiness" of thoughtless words or deeds. The natural consequences of foolish actions affect everyone nearby—like the heavy burden of a great stone or a load of sand. It lies heavily upon those who carry it. Matthew Henry says, "Those who have no command of their passions do themselves even sink under the load of them. The wrath of a fool lies heavily upon those he is enraged at, to whom, in his fury, he will be in danger of doing some mischief. It is therefore our wisdom not to give provocation to a fool, but, if he be in a passion, to get out of his way."

As we go about our business today, let us not provoke one another. Let us consider, instead, how to stir up one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24).