Page 15 - NMI handbook 2020-2021

Global Missions

Work & Witness Report

We Deliver

What’s your thoughts on delivery? Fast food delivery? Wal-Mart curbside delivery?
Uber Eats? Do you prefer the convenience of delivery over the experience of
walking the isles or perusing a menu yourself?

I laugh at the commercials depicting an ill attentive pizza delivery person
speeding down the road, sliding around corners and launching their car over
bumps en-route to deliver what’s left of your dinner. The camera pans to the rear
seat as you watch a pizza box do amazing flips and pirouettes with the grace of a
linebacker attempting gymnastics. The commercial brings back memories of
receiving pizzas that looked like they had just been through a wash machine spin
cycle delivered to my barracks when I was in the Army.

The miracle of Jesus feeding the 5000 gives us a great biblical account of possibly
the first large scale food delivery recorded in history. All four gospels (Matthew
14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15) record the account of Jesus
using a little boy’s lunch to feed the masses. “The number of those who ate was
about five thousand men, besides woman and children” (Matthew 14:21 NIV).

Jesus could have easily just snapped his fingers and food would have fallen from
the sky like manna from heaven, but He chose to use those who followed Him to
meet the needs of the people. He chose to use the gift of fish and bread provided
by the little boy to meet the needs of the hungry crowd. He chose to use His
disciples to distribute the gift that was given. He chose to multiply the gift in
abundance, beyond what anyone could imagine. Jesus chose to allow His followers
to be a part of the blessing He bestowed on those who were seeking Him.

Even today, Jesus chooses to use those
who are willing to give their gifts and
those who are willing to assist in His plan
to reach the world. Isn’t that what
Nazarene Work and Witness is all about?
Allowing Jesus to use our gifts of money,
time, and talents to serve those whom He
loves.

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