"Act 2" of Mark covers the way to Jerusalem, which covers the end of chapter 8 through chapter 10. The phrase, "On the Way" is used six times, three of which are connected to the three times that Jesus told His disciples that He was going to Jerusalem to die. This section had bookends of healing stories of blind men. The first one, with Jesus' touch he saw men like trees, but with the second touch he saw clearly. This seems to reflect how the disciples could see Jesus, but they did not see clearly. This section continues with describing the disciples as fearful, faithless, and not understanding. They keep thinking that the kingdom of God is about power, money, and influence, and they didn't understand that Jesus said that to be a part of the kingdom of God, one must deny self, take up his cross, and follow Jesus (8:34). With the healing of Blind Bartimaeus, he knew Jesus was the Son of David, and he cried out for healing. Jesus called him to Himself, and he left his cloak, ran to Jesus, called Him his Master, and asked for healing. Jesus healed him, and seeing Bartimaeus went from being by the wayside, to be on the way and followed Jesus.
