Guest Writer Spotlight: Unconditional Love – Examples from the books of Luke and Acts
By Cynthia Teske
The ministry of Jesus Christ as it is recorded in the book of Luke is the easiest gospel to comprehend. In it Luke stresses Jesus’ relationships with people, he emphasizes prayer, the miracles of Jesus, angels, and he shows how women have a prominent place throughout Jesus’ ministry.
Since Luke was a doctor he put the life and ministry of Jesus in chronological order beginning with the angel appearing to both Zachariah and Mary telling them of the two births of John the Baptist, and then the birth of Jesus. Throughout the book Luke gives us glimpses of the divine plan of Jesus’ ministry on earth. He ends the gospel with Jesus ascending into
heaven giving us another example of the divine plan of salvation.
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The book of Acts continues the story, covering the thirty years after Jesus ascended into heaven. It was during that period that the church was established by the disciples bringing the gospel of salvation throughout the world. The Book of Acts tells of the 40 days after the resurrection of Christ, when the apostles learned about the kingdom of God, and the source of their power the Holy Spirit. It is through these two books in the Bible that Christians can learn how to model the life of Christ, how to live a life based on faith, and how to bring new life to those who have not yet learned the good news of salvation. It is a story of hope, faith, trust, but most of all a story of unconditional love between God the father , and his people on earth.
There are many examples of unconditional love in the book of Luke. In Luke 10:27 when Jesus is asked “What is the greatest commandment in the Law?” He responds with “Love , love the lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your soul, this is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus is saying plainly thee way in which we are to live our lives is to first love God, and then to love each other. We can not show affection for those who share our beliefs and turn away from those who do not. We show our love for Christ by showing mercy and forgiveness to those who have wronged us.
The most significant example of unconditional love was the cross. Jesus went to the cross willingly, knowing that his death would make the way for all to have eternal life. Even as he was dying he asked the father to forgive his accusers. Never has thee been such a pure example of unconditional love. Jesus made the way for all of us to live with God in his kingdom, he paid the price for us all. When Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, the truth about his nature reflects the truth about our own. In the forty days after his resurrection Jesus instructed his disciples on the kingdom of God, and sent them out to start his church.
It is in the book of Acts that Luke continues his story. It is where the disciples became apostles. The difference between the two is simple, a disciple is a follower or learner, and an apostle is a messenger or missionary. They now knew their mission of the church was to spread the good news about Jesus Christ to all nations. God gave us the power of the Holy Spirit to
help us bring others to Him. In Acts 2, this is shown when the Holy Spirit empowers the apostles with the gift of tongues so that all people from every nation could understand the word of God.
This is yet another example of unconditional love, God does not want any of his children to miss out on the riches of the kingdom of heaven.
It is the example of unconditional love that gives me purpose in my life. I know first hand that unconditional love has the power to restore any relationship, strengthen any bond, and soften the hardest of hearts. Once someone learns to live with this understanding, then any problem or conflict that arises, any anger or persecution, will come to a smooth resolution.
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Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.