Jesus is in Jericho, a small city at the Nothern end of the Dead Sea.
He has travelled across Samaria into the hostile land of Judea.
Here Jesus has gathered a crowd around him by speaking in the city.
As he is leaving he meets the beggar, Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus,
This then becomes the tale of the conversion of the beggar,
for Timaeus was, seemingly already a follower
and well known to Christians in Mark's day.
When Jesus calls, Bartimaeus casts away his cloak
and straight goes to him, for his blindness was not of a physical nature.
In casting away his protective cloak was he opening himself to the Spirit?
Was it this freedom that allowed the impact of Jesus to open his eyes
to the ways of the Kingdom of which Jesus had been speaking?
In both accounts, Jesus is addressed as "Son of David",
pointing him to a Messianic role, as a leader in Israel.
Maybe Bartimaeus initiated a key change of policy,
or of a fresh mission aim in the Movement,
which had not been not clearly defined.