you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. For Jesus, the prospect of such treatment becomes reality at the Jewish and Roman trials (26:67–68; 27:27–31). His disciples should not be surprised if they face the same things on account of him (10:17–19). Counterintuitively from the world’s perspective, Jesus exhorts his hearers to rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you (v 12). In Jewish tradition,