The First Food Delivery Service

It seems like it was only a short time ago when services like DoorDash and Uber Eats were nonexistent in our world. Now, many people use these services on a regular basis. Some of you might even be thinking that sounds like a great idea for your next meal! The food industry is a major part of our economy, generating one-fifth of the nation’s total GDP. And one of the fastest-growing segments is food delivery. It’s gone far beyond the days of pizza—now, you can get nearly any food you want delivered to your door. However, food delivery isn’t a modern phenomenon; it goes back to ancient times, even to the days of Jesus. One day, he brought the disciples into the food delivery business in a miraculous way.

We’re talking about one of the most famous miracles—the feeding of the 5,000. In fact, it’s one of only a few miracles recorded in all four gospels. He multiplied five loaves of bread and two fish to feed over 5,000 men, and that’s not including the women and children! In doing so, Jesus generously met a basic human need—physical nourishment—for a large crowd. This story highlights Jesus’ love and compassion for people. It also shows his power and goodness. Behind the scenes of what Jesus demonstrated is an important message about the role we play as Christ followers.

Through the miracle, Jesus modeled how the kingdom of God functions. The disciples observed that the crowd had just experienced a long day of listening to Jesus preach and seeing him perform signs and wonders, and they recognized that the crowd was likely hungry. Yet their solution was to send them on their way to get food for themselves. Jesus, however, called out his disciples with the rebuke, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat” (Matthew 14:16).

While it was Jesus who then blessed and multiplied the few loaves of bread and fish, it was his disciples who delivered the elements to the crowd. Likewise, as followers of Jesus, we too are called to be deliverers of his generosity to the world. It’s our responsibility to look for those job orders that God gives us to deliver his provision to those in need. We too need to hear Jesus say to us, “They need not go away, you give them something to eat.” What better time to do this than now? For example, as we enter the holiday season, which largely centers on food, our awareness of food insecurity in the world should become more pronounced.

Food insecurity is a significant issue in our culture. Even those of us living in well-to-do neighborhoods may be surprised by how many people just miles, if not blocks, away are struggling with the burden and stress of not being able to maintain ample supply of groceries in their fridge and pantry. Thankfully, many churches, non-profits and individuals have recognized this need and risen to the challenge to fill the gap. Feeding those facing food insecurity is one of the simplest ways God can work through us to deliver his goodness and provision. We don’t have to look far to find food drives, homeless shelters, meal packaging events or food banks where we can serve with our time or donations. As we approach the end of the year, let’s not neglect helping deliver food to people in need. In doing so, we’ll be disciples in the delivery business!