Attention switches to what has been going on during Jesus’ absence with the three of the inner group. In the valley they had been presented with a problem and an opportunity, and they had blown it. The later verses simply continue their record of sad failure. You can itemize the different ways they came short of the standards Jesus expected of them: (a) They failed to help the man whose son was demented because of their argumentative spirit (v. 14) which betrayed
Mark 9:14–16