What does Luke 18:35 mean?

Luke is winding down his so-called "travelogue" (Luke 9:51—19:27) as Jesus approaches Jerusalem. Luke has recorded several events, teachings, and miracles aimed at teaching the disciples about the kingdom of God. He also wraps up a series of contrasts in this chapter. A blind man trusts what he has heard about Jesus. Like the persistent widow (Luke 18:1–8), the tax collector (Luke 18:13–14), and the children (Luke 18:15–17), he knows he cannot save himself, so he persistently, humbly, and boldly asks Jesus for help.

The beggar is equally unique as are the other characters in the chapter. He does not have the autonomous power of the judge (Luke 18:1–8), the outwardly holiness of the Pharisee (Luke 18:11–12), or the riches of the young ruler (Luke 18:18–30). And unlike the disciples (Luke 18:31–34), he knows and accepts the blunt truths of what he has heard about Jesus.

Luke says they are drawing near to Jericho during this encounter; Matthew and Mark say it happens as they leave Jericho (Matthew 20:29; Mark 10:46). All three of them are right, in different perspectives. In that era, there were two locations labeled as "Jericho." After the first Jericho fell into ruins (Joshua 6), the city was rebuilt a short distance away (1 Kings 16:34). The gospels probably refer to both the city and the ancient ruins. Matthew mentions two men, a detail that doesn't affect the veracity of Luke's and Mark's accounts. It's possible Bartimaeus remained a disciple through the establishment of the church.