Luke 4:43

I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities--

A precedent for preachers

Christ thus admired and desired to stay in Capernaum, would not so do, as having an eye to His ease or conveniency there, but must be at the pains to preach elsewhere.

Teaching us that we must not measure our services from ourselves or conveniences, nor in them seek our own ease or acceptance among men; but so carry them as may be most for God’s glory and our own sound comfort. Our Saviour Christ admitted not their motion, but made them this answer in the words of the text, “Surely I must also preach.” Wherein consider five points.

1. The work which Christ must do--He must “preach.”

2. The necessity of it--“I must.”

3. The matter what He must preach--“the kingdom of God.”

4. The object or people to whom--“to other cities also.”

5. The bond of this necessity--“ For therefore I am sent.”

I. THE WORK IS PREACHING. Thus preaching is called the setting out of the mystery of Christ, and a publishing of the mystery of the gospel, and the revealing of a mystery hid since the world began. Hence observe the greatness of the work of preaching, and the great estimation of it, for which end the Son of God Himself came from heaven. The great work of God considered in the means seems vile and base, and nothing more stunneth the minds of carnal men than the baseness of the means, compared with the magnificence of the effects. It might seem ridiculous to the men of Jericho that the blast of rams’ horns and sound of trumpets should batter down stone walls, and no marvel but that they smiled at such unlikely means; but yet it was so: so this work of preaching in the eye of a carnal man is but foolishness, as 1 Corinthians 1:21, but yet “to them that are called, it is the power of God to salvation.” Here behold weakness encountering and overmastering strength, simplicity overreaching policy, and God’s power prevailing in His own weak means.

II. The second part of the text is THE NECESSITY OF PREACHING--“ I must preach.” It depends not upon His will, or left to His discretion; but He must do it. Now, much more necessity lieth on us His ministers. Now if we be bound to preach, ye are bound to hear; if we be bound to deliver the Word, ye are bound to receive the Word, not as the word of man; but as it is indeed the Word of God, with all reverence, duty, and piety.

III. The third point is THE MATTER OF THIS PREACHING: the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is twofold.

1. Of grace.

2. Of glory.

In the former God reigneth in us. In the latter we reign with God. The former is in this life, the latter in the life to come. The one issuing into the other, and both of them becoming one: for we read not of God’s kingdoms in the plural, but of His kingdom, which is but one. This is that tabernacle of God which is with men. To this kingdom God calleth us by preaching, and here it must be begun by righteousness, repentance, mortification, and shall have fulness hereafter. All men desire to partake in the kingdom of Christ and glory, but few will be subject to his Father in the kingdom of grace. We to whom God hath committed the preaching of His Word must have care to further this kingdom and bring in many to be subjects of it, expecting that glorious recompense of shining as the stars in the firmament for ever and ever.

IV. THE PERSONS TO WHOM CHRIST MUST PREACH--“to other cities.” As the sun compasseth the world and stayeth in no one part, so Christ the Sun of Righteousness never settleth in any one place, but seeketh to disperse everywhere His blessed light. It had been in Christ’s power Himself to have kept one place always, and have sent His disciples to all other, but He would not: that we should by His example learn not to shun labour, but employ our pains and diligence in building the kingdom of God, and in seeking and saving that which is lost. Thus was Christ as a compassionate Physician, who not being sent for, offereth His care and pains, as willing to save such as are in danger.

V. The bond of this necessity--“for therefore am I sent.” He should betray the end of His coming if He should not preach. The point we must here learn is that every man must serve the end and use that he is called unto, and carefully discharge the trust committed unto him (Romans 12:7). The heathen held it as shameful and dangerous to fail in matter of trust, as if the party had committed theft. (T. Taylor, D. D.)

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