When Buddha was alive he had go around begging for food. He did this not only in order to give others merit, but also to sow affinity with the Buddha, so sooner or later another Buddha would come. And then they probably follow that Buddha, and become enlightened, become Arhat, become liberated. That’s the main point at the end. Because the affinity already sowed the seed, and it will grow, and in time, one becomes enlightened and liberated.