“And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them. And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.”–Luke 4:42–44
The people in Capernaum would have been delighted for Jesus to stay with them. In fact, they begged Him not to leave when it was time for Him to go. They realized that they had benefited greatly by His presence. Yet even at the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus made it clear that the priority of His life and work would be to reach as many people as possible with the gospel. Jesus recognized that He had been given this mission by His Father and as a result, He planned His life around what God had in mind for Him to do: “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him” (John 8:29).
What was true of Jesus should be true of us as well. We should plan and shape our lives around what matters to God rather than what matters to us. And nothing is more central to God’s purpose and will for our lives than telling others about salvation in Jesus Christ. When the Jewish rulers called the disciples before them to try to make them stop preaching about Jesus, they had to admit the effectiveness of God’s people carrying out God’s plan. “Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine…” (Acts 5:28).
God’s plan to reach the world has not changed—it is still for His children to proclaim the gospel to everyone and to follow His will rather than our own.– Dr. Paul Chappell
