What is reasonable?

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I keep running into the word “reasonable” paired with different things, one of which is the idea of expectations.  Since I taught Dickens’ Great Expectations for so long, maybe the pairing of reasonable with expectations makes me take notice—especially when I consider this generation I teach, many who think any and every thing they are asked to do that requires effort is unreasonable—and heaven forbid anyone have “great” expectations of them.  Enough ranting . . . so, if the average person today questions reasonable, what are we as Christians supposed to do with Paul’s exhortation found in Romans 12:1? Here Paul urges his Christian brothers and sisters to intentionally present themselves as living sacrifices:
           
I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. (AMP)

Paul points out that the expectation of a Christian being a living sacrifice is reasonable because of God’s great mercy toward us, but notice that Paul doesn’t say anywhere that being a living sacrifice is easy.

Before (and even after for those who continued in the Old Testament tradition) Christ’s death and resurrection, all the sacrifices offered to cover sin had to be slaughtered and drained of their blood, and they unequivocally and universally remained dead. The blood of these sacrifices splashed or sprinkled on the altar as a requirement for the covering of sin or guilt, and parts of the animal (slaughtered by the one bringing the sacrifice) presented to the priests to be burned on the altar produced a particularly pungent fragrance. The fragrance of the burnt offering in God’s nostrils wasn’t due to the smoke rising from the animal burning, but rather from the sacrifice—the action required on the part of the one seeking forgiveness. Maybe that seems harsh, but we are the ones who messed up--sin entered the world through human actions--and God, as creator had the reasonable right to demand recompense, yet He provided a way for humans to atone through the Old Testament sacrifice.

Once sacrificed, the burned remnant of a once-living creature was dead and had no possibility of living. When I see this verse and think about the context, I have to think that just as sacrifices do not get up off the altar and walk away to please themselves, neither should Christians. What Paul urges—a total devotion and service to God out of love—is not the following of rules or requirements, but serving God because He first loved us (1 John 4:19) and gave himself up for us (Galatians 1:4) as a living sacrifice (Hebrews 10:20).

A sacrifice is simplistically defined as the giving up of something of value (or incurring loss). Here Paul urges followers of Christ to intentionally devote everything they were to pleasing God regardless of the cost to themselves—and this was the reasonable (or rational and intelligent) service AND worship.  Often, those sacrifices offered at the temple had been raised by the family doing the offering. Imagine killing and watching the blood of this precious animal draining away . . . knowing that it died for your own sin—you were entirely culpable.

There was a cost.

I can’t help but think what things will I need to get rid of that are comfortable and familiar to me? What things do I need to sacrifice on the altar of service? After all, it is only reasonable.

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