Correction is seldom pleasant. Hard words may cut, but they also cure. Jesus is tough and direct in His rebuke of the disciples. First, He calls them a “faithless generation.” I believe this epithet is directed toward the disciples. This word “generation” is normally used of Israel as an unbelieving nation and, in particular, its leaders (8:12, 38). Second, by means of parallel rhetorical questions, He expressed His exasperation and weariness:
Mark 9:19–27