Luke 4:42
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 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.
After a long day and night of healing the sick, at daybreak Jesus withdrew alone into a quiet desert place to pray and receive strength from His Father for His work. The people of Capernaum where He had labored sought Him out there and urged Him not to leave them, wanting to keep hearing Him and receiving His healing and deliverance. He would not remain but told them He must preach the kingdom of God in other cities and towns as well, because He was sent for that purpose to all people. His mission was to draw men to Himself as Saviour and not merely to hold them as a healer, and His leaving to carry mercy and truth elsewhere teaches His followers to move the work from place to place instead of remaining settled in one place.
Setting and Withdrawal
After a long day of ministering to the people and healing the sick, at daybreak, even before day, Jesus withdrew to a quiet, secluded, solitary desert place. That withdrawal was part of His practice of seeking solitary prayer, through which He received strength from His Father for His work and conflicts.
The people sought Him out there and came to Him and urged Him to stay and not leave or depart from them. They wanted to keep hearing Him and His teaching and to continue receiving His healing and deliverance, wanting Him to remain and continue working among them.
Those who thus sought Him and wanted to keep Him were the people of the city and place where He had labored and worked. That city is identified as Capernaum.
Wider Mission and Example
He did not stay where He was wanted but told those who would have kept Him that He must preach the kingdom of God and the gospel in other cities and towns also, because He had been sent for that very purpose to all people. His work was not confined to one place, and His departure did not interrupt His mission but carried it forward to others. His mission was to preach and to draw people to Himself as Saviour, not merely to attract attention as a healer or wonder-worker. Hopes that He would become an earthly king could distract from the spiritual purpose of His work, and worldly success would interfere with that mission. His work of mercy belonged to other towns and cities too, so remaining in one place would have deprived others of His ministry.
His ministry joined preaching and opening the Scriptures with restoring the sick and afflicted, and healing of the body prepares the way for restoration of the soul. After proclaiming the truth in one place to people who had not heard it, He left them to build on what they had received and went elsewhere to warn others who had not yet heard. Those who had been taught were to build on His teaching while He carried the message to places that had not heard the truths He came to teach. His followers are to follow this same pattern of taking the message from place to place, warning others once the truth has been proclaimed in one place.
His example as the great Medical Missionary teaches His followers to do just that same work, going from place to place with ministry to the sick joined to preaching. The work is to move from place to place rather than remain where it has already been done, going on to preach everywhere instead of sitting down in a do-nothing position.