The Prodigal Son: Advanced Edition - 1

Here's the answer of March 24's discussions:

1. Father, younger son, and the father's servant.
2. Everyone in heaven rejoices (or, heavenly party).
3. Jealous/ felt unfair/ the father is favoritism/ he don't deserve to get this.
4. New believers (who have sinned and turned back to God), backslidden Christian coming back to church, believers who have sinned against God, and Non-Christian (if we looking at the context of Jesus as the Redeemer that redeemed us back to God, means that we are all belongs to God).
5. Elders and leaders, matured believers.
6. Yes, as long as we are in this world, we will be tempted (1COR10:13).
7. He will still embrace him, kiss him, bring the best rope to him, put a ring back onto him, and put a big feast for him.
8. Perhaps felt betrayed; but if he realized what he had done was wrong after the father explained to him (verse 31 and 32), he would stand along with the father and embrace him back again with love and great rejoicing.
9. He is still my son and I will still love him and pray for him.
10. God will still forgive (Matthew 18:21-22).
11. Yes, definitely, because he is crazy.
12. Use whatever authorities, promises, and gifting that I have to help him (pray, taking spiritual authority, encourage, etc).
13. In a typicall family, brothers are supposed to care for one another and bearing one another's burden. In this parable, the older brother did not fulfill the family role as a brother (verse 29) and he let his younger brother idled for himself and allow him be led astray into thinking of wild living. Both of them should have labored together in the field for their father's house, but in this case, it was not so. The older brother should have realized the suffering of the younger brother was party due to his failure in fulfilling the family role. Therefore, God balances it in 1Thessalonians 5:9-18 that we have a ministry, that is to encourage and care for one another, and even to the extend of bearing one another'sburden. These two verses clearly defines the role for older and younger brother in the House of God.