The Rich Young Man:

A Lesson from Mark 10:17-31

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17)

In the Gospel of Mark, we come across a profound encounter between Jesus and a rich young man (Mark 10:17-31). This passage offers us deep insights into the nature of discipleship, the challenge of wealth, and the promise of eternal life.

A young man approaches Jesus with a pressing question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus responds by reminding him of the commandments, which the man claims to have kept since his youth. However, Jesus sees beyond his outward obedience and challenges him to take a radical step: “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

The young man’s reaction is telling—he goes away sad because he has great wealth. Jesus uses this moment to teach His disciples about the difficulty for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom of God, famously stating, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” This hyperbolic image underscores the spiritual hindrance that wealth can pose, not because wealth is inherently evil, but because it can become an idol, diverting our trust and dependence away from God.

The disciples are astonished and ask, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus’ response is both sobering and hopeful: “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” This reminds us that salvation is not something we can achieve through our own efforts or merits; it is a gift from God, made possible through His grace.

Jesus assures His followers that those who sacrifice for His sake will receive manifold blessings in this life—homes, family, and fields, along with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. This promise encourages us to hold loosely to our earthly possessions and to invest in what truly matters: our relationship with God and our service to others.

Finally, Jesus concludes with a powerful statement: “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” This great reversal challenges our worldly values and priorities, reminding us that God’s Kingdom operates on a different economy—one where humility, service, and self-sacrifice are exalted.



As we reflect on this passage, let us examine our own lives. Are there areas where we are holding back from fully following Jesus? Are we placing our trust in material wealth or in God’s provision? Let us pray for the grace to let go of anything that hinders our walk with Christ and to embrace the abundant life He offers.

A Prayer Minister will be available at the

back corner of Dunlap Hall, for at least

15 minutes after the benediction.

Masks will be worn when requested.

Prayer Minister this week is Gary Ward

“If you stay, you will die.” Direct quote from Trip Barrs, Chief of the City of Treasure Island Fire Rescue during a national news network interview.

It seems that storms are the topic of the month, and rightly so. Two hurricanes to hit Florida two weeks apart would never have crossed anyone’s mind. Hopefully everyone in harm’s way this time will heed the warnings and take the appropriate actions to protect their lives.

When I heard this statement from Chief Barrs, it made me think of another such stark warning. You can read it in Genesis 2:16-17; “But the Lord warned him(Adam), “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden-except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” As we all know, Adam did not heed the warning and chose to know both good and evil. He died in the end just as God had warned him.

Warnings are given to us, not to harm us but to protect us. Down through history men and women have ignored life saving warnings that have resulted in injury, bodily harm, and premature deaths. Think about it, traffic signals are not only meant to control the flow of traffic, they also save lives. For example, run a red light or ignore a yield sign and you could cause an accident risking injury to yourself or someone else.

There are other warning signs such as “Danger, High Voltage”, meant to protect us from being electrocuted. How many stories have we heard about people falling to their death because they crossed the protective barrier in front of a dangerous cliff? Or they were gored by a wild animal while trying to get a “selfie”, ignoring warnings from officials not to get too close.

In spite of all the warnings from officials in Florida, someone will try to stay behind to protect their property; they always do. And in spite of God’s warning to flee from the wrath to come, many will continue to know only evil, not good. But the good news is that God sent Jesus who paid for our sins, “not willing that anyone should perish but all would have eternal life.”

In the next days, weeks, months and even years to come, lifelines will continue to be thrown out to all the victims of these two hurricanes, as well as those impacted by war, poverty, and disease all over the world. We can and should be part of offering those lifelines to those in need. May we all heed the warnings to not ignore those who suffer, but to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Grace and peace to you this week,

Dave                                       

Prayer Request for the Hurricane

There are so many of us praying for the people recovering from Hurricane Helene and now we watch as Florida faces a serious threat from Hurricane Milton. I went online and found some prayers for us to join in as we all watch and wait while the storm approaches.

Prayers for Hurricane and Natural Disaster Protection and Recovery 

www.theholymess.com 

Prayer for Those Directly in Harm’s Path

Jesus, we lift an urgent plea for those directly in the path of a hurricane. You calmed the Sea of Galilee with a couple of words. You have the power to calm any storm in our lives. Protect people who are in harm’s way, provide ways out and safe places to stay while the storm rages, and keep loved ones, pets, and rescue workers safe from harm. In Your saving name, we pray, Amen.

Prayer for Those Affected by Evacuating and Displaced

Heavenly Father, we grieve for those who have lost their homes temporarily or permanently. Provide all who are displaced with a safe place to rest tonight. Give people access to clean water, provisions for daily living, and security wherever they reside now. Rest your loving hand on recovery efforts so that children can attend school, the vulnerable will be secure, and everyone will connect with their community again. Let all people find refuge in you. Amen.

Prayer for Rescue Workers

Protect and guide all who serve as rescue workers. Give them endurance and direction as they seek to do your work of caring for those who need your healing, protection, and recovery. When they face danger, be their stronghold. We thank you for their efforts. Amen.

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I also found this live feed from our fellow UMC church, Allendale UMC in St. Petersburg, Florida - They stated: "We have a weather camera up and running again to monitor the conditions here in St. Pete. We'll keep streaming during the storm as long as we have power and internet."

Christie Riggsby

Office Manager, John Wesley UMC

"Be A Rainbow In Someone's Cloud"

Matthew 25 Volunteer Opportunities

Our next opportunity to serve is on:

Saturday, October 19

11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Larissa Waldorf at email: waldorflarissa@gmail.com (home)

or Larissa_waldorf@cinfin.com (work), or both,

or my cell phone # is 513-488-9169.

See you then!

The 9:00 Sunday school class has converted half of Wesley Hall into two pickleball courts.

We have three times reserved weekly for those of you who would like to join us. We're set up for Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00-6:00 and Saturdays from 10:00 to noon. You need to enter by the back Wesley Hall door, and ring the doorbell if you do not have a key.

Contact Marilyn Shultz if you have questions.

Volunteers Needed for S.O.U.L.

S.O.U.L. could use a volunteer who has a truck and would be willing to pick up supplies at the Freestore Foodbank warehouse. It’s near the river, about ½ hour from JWUMC. Ideally, it would be helpful to have 2 people who could go once a month, help load the truck and deliver it to S.O.U.L. at the Nazarene Church in Springdale. For more information, call Pat Westerman at 513-824-1399.

LIKE TO WALK?

A FUN VOLUNTEER OPTION

Matthew 25 is hosting its annual Hunger5K Run/Walk on November 2, starting at 8:30 AM.

It starts at M25 and circles back around to their facility in Blue Ash, all easy walking.

If you pre-register before 10/28, donation is $40.

If you have a team, each person pays $35. Besides the joy of helping a wonderful ministry, each walker gets a long-sleeve T-shirt and post-race refreshments. If you are interested, get a group together and register at HUNGER5K.ORG

Need of Pictures of Your Pets

The PIX (Praise Images of Christ) camera group would like to adorn our nursery with pictures of loveable house pets. I know that there many dog & cat lovers in our congregation, and if you are one, I am sure you must have 2 or 3 (or more) photos of your pet(s).



So, if you have any pictures that you want to contribute towards this project, contact Andy Shreve. We accept digital file photos (just send it to my email) and printed photos. If a printed photo, we will scan that photo so that we have a digital copy and return the print (original) back to you.

Andy Shreve ~ 513.406.7381 anshreve@gmail.com

Prayer Chain Refresher

Please ALWAYS send prayer requests to: prayerchain@jwumc.com

Whether it's day, night or weekends, always send your prayer requests to the address above. From that email address, your prayer request will be sent along to the main prayer chain distribution list by me (Christie) or by Tavane.

Anyone can send a request to the prayer chain. Also, feel free to call the office and we can write down your prayer request and send it out for you.

THIS PART IS VERY IMPORTANT- Please remember, if you just hit "REPLY", your email message will just come back to me (Christie) or Tavane. You need to put the person's email address in the TO section of your reply. We always try to provide that person's email address when we forward prayer chain emails to make it as easy as possible to respond.

If you have any questions about this information, or about the Prayer Chain in general, please contact me at christie@jwumc.com.

Thank you to everyone on the prayer chain for their faith and devotion in praying. You all are a powerful bunch!

Thank you!

Christie Riggsby

Office Manager, John Wesley UMC

"Be A Rainbow In Someone's Cloud"

John Wesley UMC ~ Annual Church Conference

November 3 ~ 4:00 p.m.

All members of John Wesley UMC are invited to attend our Annual Church Conference meeting on Sunday, November 3th, at 4:00 p.m. where all of our annual conference paperwork will be discussed and voted upon according to the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church.

Such matters as voting upon our roster of committee members for next year, providing information on the state of the church, setting the pastor's salary and benefit package for next year, and looking at our membership rolls will be on the agenda. Every professing member of JWUMC has voice and vote at this meeting and is encouraged to attend.

If you have any questions about this meeting please call the church office,

513-825-0733, or email Christie at christie@jwumc.com.

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