At this point in Luke's Gospel, Jesus has traveled the length and breadth of the Roman province of Judea, preaching a new style of life. He has told the common people how important they are in the sight of their heavenly Father. He has told them how much they are loved by God. He has told them that they will inherit the kingdom of God, that the rich have already received their reward.

He has spoken against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and the value system of the religious leaders who rank strict adherence to the letter of the Law above all else, even when it conflicts with higher human values.  He has given the downtrodden and the oppressed a new hope, a new sense of their own worth.  Some of them now believe that Jesus is the great liberator, the promised Messiah, who when the time is right, will lead them out of Roman bondage and restore the ancient glory of Israel.  Now in today's Gospel episode, the people are seeing a different Jesus as he looks ahead and sees a looming ever closer his Passion upon the Cross.  Christ seems to be taking a harder line.  He wants to dispel all ideas about himself as a political and military leader.  He wants his heroes to realize that he means it when He says that His kingdom is not of this world.  He want them to realize that, if they really want to follow Him, if they really want to be His disciples, they must be prepared to make some hard choices.