Christ's Lament over Faithlessness.
I. The first thing that seems to be in this lament is not anger, but a very distinct and very pathetic expression of Christ's infinite pain, because of man's faithlessness. The element of personal sorrow is most obvious here. All that men have ever felt of how hard it is to keep on working when not a soul understands them, when not a single creature believes in them, when there is nobody that will accept their message, nor that will give them credit for pure motives, Jesus Christ had to feel, and that in an altogether singular degree. There never was such a lonely soul on this earth as His, just because there never was another so pure and loving.
II. In this short sharp cry of anguish, there may be detected by the listening ear not only the tone of personal hurt, but the tone of disappointed and thwarted love. Because of their unbelief He knew that they could not receive what He desired to give them. We find Him more than once in His life hemmed in, hindered, balked of His purpose, thwarted in His design simply because there was nobody with a heart open to receive the rich treasure that He was ready to pour out.
III. Another thought which seems to me to be expressed in this wonderful exclamation of our Lord is, that their faithlessness bound Christ to earth, and kept Him there. As there is not anger, but only pain, so there is also, I think, not exactly impatience, but a desire to depart, coupled with the feeling that He cannot leave them till they have grown stronger in faith, and that feeling is increased by the experience of their utter helplessness and shameful discomfiture during His brief absence. They had shown that they were not fit to be trusted alone. He had been away for a day up in the mountain there, and though they did not build an altar to any golden calf, like their ancestors, when their leader was absent, still when He comes back He finds all things gone wrong because of the few hours of His absence. What would they do if He were to go away from them altogether? "How long must I be with you?" said the loving Teacher, who is prepared ungrudgingly to give His slow scholar as much time as he needs to learn his lesson.
IV. Again, we here get a glimpse into the depth of Christ's patience and forbearance. This plaintive question sounds like a pledge that as long as they need forbearance they will get it, but at the same time a question of how long that is to be. It implies the inexhaustible riches and resources of His patient mercy,
A. Maclaren, Week Day Evening Addresses,p. 54.
References: Mark 9:19. Spurgeon, Morning by Morning,p. 261.Mark 9:22. Homiletic Quarterly,vol. v., p. 182.