The previous evening, Jesus had demonstrated His power to heal and to expel demons (Luke 4:40-41).  Very early the next morning He left Simon Peter's house: new crowds of sick people who were desperate for His touch were so disappointed.  Somehow, they found out where He was, but instead of meeting their immediate needs, He said that He had come to announce God’s kingdom.  Although the crowds were desperate to keep Him in Capernaum (Luke 4:31), He told them that He must move on to other towns.  To some it might have seemed strange that He did not want to exploit His popularity.  Others would have been bemused that the 'Master of Mercy' seemed no longer to be interested in healing the sick.  What had happened overnight to change His mind, some might have said?

Of course, Jesus had not changed (Hebrews 13:8).  His heart was still full of compassion, but His mission was not to heal bodies.  Even if He had healed people every day throughout a natural lifespan, many sick people would have remained unhealed; and some healed people would have died of other diseases.  No, Christ's mission was not to fix the imperfections of earth but make the imperfect people ready for heaven (Luke 5:32).

Mercy ministry remains an important part of the infrastructure of the gospel.  But while it draws attention to the power of Jesus and validates the gospel, physical healing does not save people from hell.  Jesus knew that only His death could provide the way of salvation (Hebrews 9:28).  Unless people knew why Jesus came to die, and how that act was the centrepiece of God's rescue plan, there would be no gospel to believe (1 Corinthians 1:21-24).  That is why Jesus made preaching His priority.  When He taught in the synagogues He explained, from the Old Testament Scriptures, who He was, and why He had to die.

Nobody should like being ill.  But some think that health and prosperity are the only things that matter.  Wrong!  More important, is to be forgiven, loved, cleansed and accepted by God.  1 Timothy 6:6-9 says, "But godliness with contentment is great gain … Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction."  Healthy bodies and bank accounts will not get us to heaven, but believing the gospel of God's grace will (Romans 1:16).  That is why Jesus wanted to preach the gospel.  Today's church falls seriously short of its purpose if it fails to do the same.  Have you thought that many people are more likely to hear the gospel from a believer in their workplace, than in the church they never attend?  Share www.crosscheck.org.uk with your friends and colleagues; whatever their earthly trouble, they need a heavenly home.  And believing the gospel is the only route (Romans 10:14-15).  It is not just a nice idea.  It is vital for their eternal destiny.