2/25
Luke 4:43
43He said to them, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose."
Jesus sometimes tried to escape the crowds that sought Him by seeking out desolate places (Luke 5:16). He wanted time to pray and to teach His disciples. The crowds found Him again and tried to get Him to stay in their area. It is likely, in an age when there was little that doctors could do to help the sick or afflicted, that someone with the power to heal would be continually surrounded by those in need. Many have claimed they had this power, and yet we don't see them continually surrounded by the infirm.
Jesus could not be confined to one place. He had come to preach the good news of the kingdom of God. That was the purpose for which God the Father sent Him into the world. The good news was that the kingdom of God was at hand (Matthew 4:17). God was about to provide salvation for the world and pour out His Spirit on all who would receive Jesus (Acts 2:16-21). Jesus went from town to town proclaiming in the local synagogues that the Kingdom was about to arrive.
Jesus was preparing the soil for the work the disciples would perform after Jesus' ascension (Acts 1:8). Those people who saw the power of Jesus and heard Him teach from the Scriptures would be ready to hear of His atoning death and resurrection. That was one reason the church got off to such a powerful start. Your witness to others can have the same effect. We should model something of the life of Jesus in us by loving them, showing our concern in our actions, and sharing the Word. Those we share with may not be ready to enter the Kingdom at that time, but our witness will prepare their hearts for the next witnesses who come along with the good news of the Kingdom that has come.
Consider: A major part of reaping a harvest is the work that goes before. We prepare the soil, plant the seed, water and weed, and then in time the crop matures. Sometimes when we witness we enter a field that has already had all that effort put into it and we get to reap, but most of the time we are somewhere in the preparation stage. Don't be discouraged if others do not immediately receive your witness.
