Mark 9:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.”

NIV: You unbelieving generation,' Jesus replied, 'how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.'

NASB: And He answered them and *said, 'O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!'

CSB: He replied to them, "You unbelieving generation, how long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me."

NLT: Jesus said to them, 'You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.'

KJV: He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

NKJV: He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.”

In both Matthew 17:17 and Luke 9:41, Jesus is recorded as saying "O faithless and twisted generation." "Faithless" is from the Greek root word apistos and means exactly as it sounds. "Twisted" is from the Greek root word distrepho which means to be turned away from the right path. "Generation" can mean either a group of people who were born within a certain timeframe, or a group with the same ideologies.

Jesus is patient with the disciples, but He won't hold back if they refuse to accept what He has taught them. He has rebuked the Twelve for being hard-hearted (Mark 8:17), and equated Peter's words with those of Satan (Mark 8:33). Jesus has already exposed the scribes' lack of faith (Mark 3:22–30). Matthew 17:20 reveals that if the faithless generation includes the scribes, it includes the disciples, as well.

It's chilling for us to realize that if we do not live in faith of God, we can be lumped together with false teachers who reject Jesus. God does invite us into His work, but not because He needs our own skill or power. We need faith in His power and direction, and we need to be in prayer (Mark 9:29). An effective prayer life reminds us how much we need Him, acknowledges His work around us, and keeps us open to His guidance.

Mark 9:14–29 follows the transfiguration, where Peter, James, and John went up a mountain with Jesus and saw a display of His glory as God. They also saw Moses and Elijah and heard God affirm Jesus as His Son. Now the three disciples and Jesus return from the mountain and find the remaining disciples arguing with Jewish scribes. The disciples have tried to expel a dangerous demon from a young boy but have been unable despite having performed exorcisms before (Mark 6:7–13). Jesus explains that to do God's work, we need faith in Him and to be empowered by Him. This section is parallel to Matthew 17:14–20 and Luke 9:37–43.

Mark chapter 9 contains an account of Jesus' transfiguration, where three of the disciples witness Him in a glorified form. In this passage, Jesus also heals a demon-possessed boy. His teachings in this section include a prediction of His death and resurrection, and corrections to the disciples' errors on questions of pride and temptation.

Mark 9 continues Jesus' efforts to teach the disciples who He is, what He has come to do, and what their role is in His mission. The chapter begins with the transfiguration, where Peter, James, and John catch a glimpse of Jesus' glory, and ends back in Capernaum. Jesus spends most of that time teaching. Although the disciples do quarrel with the scribes, the misconceptions and errors Jesus addresses come from the disciples, themselves, not outsiders. In the next chapter, He will leave Galilee and travel toward Jerusalem and the cross.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.