Jesus takes time to bless and affirm each child individually, despite the disciples trying to hurry him along to more important matters. When Jesus sees the disciples turning children away, he rebukes them and says the kingdom of God belongs to those like children. He then lifts each child up and blesses them. The passage emphasizes Jesus moving at a slow, deliberate pace to focus on each child rather than pushing onwards in a hurry.

2. JESUS TAKES TIME TO SIMPLY BLESS CHILDREN
People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to
place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked
them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said
to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not
hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as
these.15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the
kingdom of God like a little child will never enter
it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his
hands on them and blessed them.
Mark 10: 13 - 16

3. FURTHER, FASTER
Sometimes living in God’s kingdom brings rapid change,
growth spurts, breakthroughs! It reminds me of the motto
of a friend: “Further, Faster!”
The problem: we may think of God as “being in a hurry”:
• Hurry up and change
• Hurry up and do more, be more, grow more, say more
• And so on….

4. JESUS / CHILDREN:
NOT A FURTHER, FASTER MOMENT
It is a “one at a time” experience
He is not preaching. He is not healing. He is not
pushing. He is stopping to lift each child and
impart blessing and affirmation just because.
This BOTHERS the disciples who “rebuke” the
parents and children!

5. JESUS’ RESPONSE: “THIS IS THE KINGDOM!”
He was (as one translation puts it) “very displeased” with
the disciples attitude
- It was slow
- It was inefficient
- It was extravagant
- It was Beautiful!!
It was exactly the right pace for the Kingdom of God that
day!

6. THE PACE OF LOVE: THREE MILES PER HOUR
Japanese theologian Kosuke Koyama:
“Love has it’s speed”, Koyama writes, “It is a spiritual
speed. It is a different kind of speed from the
technological speed to which we are accustomed. It goes
on in the depth of our life, whether we notice it or not, at
three miles an hour.
It is the speed we walk and therefore the speed the love of
God walks“

7. TAKING TIME TO AFFIRM AND BLESS
The blessing of personal attention
The blessing of personal touch
My practice: ask for the blessing of
particularly great Christians I come
across.
GIVING and RECEIVING PERSONAL
TOUCH

8. TAKING WALKS
Slowing down to actually take
long walks in a beautiful place
Silverado Canyon – about two
hours

9. HOW WILL YOU WALK AT
THE PACE OF LOVE THIS
WEEK WITH THE “THREE
MILE PER HOUR GOD”?