You Were Friends in 2022, Now You’re Blocked in 2025

Read The Daily:
“22 But I have added to that rule and tell you that if you are only angry, even in your own home, you are in danger of judgment! If you call your friend an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse him, you are in danger of the fires of hell. 25 Come to terms quickly with your enemy before it is too late and he drags you into court and you are thrown into a debtor’s cell, – Matthew 5:22,25

It’s wild how someone can be in your wedding party one year… and off your contacts list the next. Most friendships don’t crash in flames—they fade with silence, sarcasm, and a slow slide of offense. Jesus wasn’t vague about it, either—He said even letting anger stew in your heart without dealing with it is dangerous. You might think you’re just avoiding drama, but what you’re actually doing is building a wall, one unspoken offense at a time.  Maybe I’m reading way to much into it, and Jesus very likely might be talking about two different groups.  But, did you notice how in verse 22 he refers to the person they’re angry with as a friend and then in verse 25 he refers to their enemy.  Is seems like a stretch, but when it anger runs it course…it’s easy to be friends in 2022 and enemies by 2025.

I’ve seen it even in local groups of believers that are following Jesus aka “church people”. People start out tight, but then there’s a weird comment. A missed invite. A joke that hits wrong. No one says anything, but little by little, the closeness is gone. And if we’re honest, it’s not because of one big betrayal—it’s because no one was brave enough to say, “Hey, that kind of hurt,” or “Can we talk about that?” The Enemy doesn’t need scandal to divide us—just silence.

The biggest friendship killers aren’t fights—they’re the fights we never had

Jesus didn’t just die to make us right with God—He died so we could be one with each other. But oneness isn’t natural on our old ways of thinking. It takes humility. And it takes someone going first to bring things back into the light.

And here’s the best part—you don’t have to force yourself to forgive, love, or reconnect on your own. You’ve got Jesus living in you. The One who forgave you when you were at your worst. The One who saw your mess and still called you His. When you know how loved you are, you’re free to love others—even the ones who didn’t say sorry.

Prayer for the Day

God what are you  showing me?  What am I going to do about it?
God help me to see one person that I can serve through a kind word, random act of kindness, or simple gift today?
Make sure you complete the reading or comment today.

Read The New Testament In A Year

4 x 6 Plan | Read: Mark 9:33-50 & 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?” But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.” John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn’t in our group.” “Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.  If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded.  “But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands. If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, ‘where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.’  “For everyone will be tested with fire. Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.”  Mark 9:33-50

What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever. But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.  1 Corinthians 15:50-58

Read More – Bible Project Overviews: Mark, 1 Corinthians