Luke 4:42-44 42And when the day had come, after leaving he went into a desolate place. And the crowds sought after him and came to him, and were keeping him so he could not leave from them. 43But he said to them, “To other cities it is also necessary for me to preach the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this I was sent.” 44And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
It had been a long day for Jesus, beginning in the Capernaum synagogue with a worship and healing service, then to Simon’s home, and ending with many people seeking him for healing. The events of this passage appear to take place the next day. At this point in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus still did not have close disciples following him but was preaching and healing to the crowds that gathered around him.
The reference to him going to a desolate place suggests he wanted a retreat to pray (Matthew 14:23). He always sought the Father’s will in all he did. A desolate place implies away from people where he could be in solitude. Finding a quiet place away from people, concerns, and demands can help refocus and empower ministry and engagement with people. The desperate people somehow found out where he was going and followed him there. Jesus could not be controlled by crowds–in Nazareth when they threatened his life or in the wilderness when they were seeking his healing.
Jesus responded to their pleas by stating his mission. The grammatical construction (dei followed by the infinitive euangelisasthai) shows purpose. The message of the kingdom of God is good news. This is the first mention of the kingdom of God in Luke’s Gospel; the phrase will occur thirty-one times in this Gospel. What this message was and meant is not given here but will be explained in Jesus’ teaching and miracles. Already, the implications of this kingdom have been given by Luke in the previous passages. The kingdom was inclusive of all people. Jesus’ mission was to people throughout the whole region of Galilee and Judea, and not just the small town of Capernaum. He would come back to the area, as indicated in the next passage. The passive verb I was sent indicates that this was God’s plan for Jesus. The kingdom had come in Jesus and was God’s plan for the salvation of all people.
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