Matthew 13:10-17

Matthew 13:10-17 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  When you have a house, you take it for granted that there will be a roof over your head.  When I see thunderstorms rolling in, I don't worry so much about the rain, knowing that even if I get stuck outside for a time, I have a safe, warm and dry place to go.  Sometimes, I forget what a blessing that is.  At other times, it breaks my heart to think of people being stuck outside in the rain or the cold with nowhere to go.
  Jesus is teaching the disciples here about what a blessing faith is.  It's not something to take for granted, but its a tremendous gift of God, and our hopes should be that all come to know Christ in this intimate way.  Many long for faith, and others may not even know how to desire this relationship, and so our lives should be lived in gratitude, and our prayers should first point outward, so that we remember that we are blessed and we are charged to be a blessing to the world.