The Town

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.