Context for Matthew 13:1-23
Faith is everything. It is through faith by God’s grace that we receive redemption from the curse of sin and the promise of eternal life in Heaven. It is through faith that we receive God’s righteousness and therefore our desire to conform to God’s will. It is through faith that we recognize God’s work and are able to do what He wants us to do. It is upon faith that our Hope rests.
Matthew 13:1-23
Faith may be everything, but it is also a tenuous thing, not because God wishes us to lose it, but because the devil, the world, and our own sinfulness want so much to take it away. How can we hope to hold on to our faith when so much is stacked against it?
Because God has given us a sure defense against the threats to our faith through His Word and the Sacraments. We can defend our faith and grow in it through constant feeding. That feeding helps us identify the threats arrayed against our faith and gives us the strength to resist them once we know what they are.
By this means, we receive God’s righteousness, conform ourselves to God’s will, recognize God’s work, and do what He asks us to do. This is how faith grows from being a tenuous sprout into a garden tree, producing the fruits of God’s grace.
