Being an orphan was even more tragic than it is today. Fatherless children were effectively homeless and penniless, dependent entirely on the charity of strangers. When Jesus promises not to leave believers—the disciples in particular—as orphans, He is reassuring them that this is not the end of their relationship with Him. They will not be abandoned or left without help.
John 14:18
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
