The New Journey

In this passage, Jesus is in Jericho, which is about 15-20 miles
from Jerusalem. This healing is the last one recorded in this
gospel and the final event in Mark before Jesus enters the city;
that means in just over a week, Jesus will change the world by his
death and resurrection. Additionally, this timing means that that
the Jewish holiday of Passover is right around the corner. You can
imagine that the roads are probably packed with people making their
way to Jerusalem to worship. In addition to the pilgrims, there is
a man named Bartimaeus who will stop at nothing to be healed.