Josh McDowell
The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict • #49 Friends Stood Afar Off
Loved ones and friends stand aloof from plague; Luke 23:49 — all acquaintances watched at a distance
Friends Stood Afar Off
The psalmist lamented that friends and companions withdrew because of his suffering.
Old Testament
Psalm 38:11
My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away.
New Testament
Luke 23:49
But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
Why This Matters
The psalmist lamented that friends and companions withdrew because of his suffering. At the cross, those who knew Jesus stood at a distance, watching. The isolation of suffering was part of the Messiah's cost.
Reflection
Lord, as I meditate on Your Passion, make me patient in trials and faithful in love.
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