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 * 1. RESPOND: If you were the elder son, how would you have reacted to the father’s response at the end? Why?**

My reaction would have been composed of envy since I would have felt as if I was the lesser son, but I would have also been understanding of my father's response. I would have realized that my father is only joyous that his other son is alive and well since all fathers should love their children regardless of who they are.


 * 2.(a) RECALL: What causes the younger son to return home?**

He no longer had any money and had no other means to support himself. He knew his father still had money and would help him if he returned home.


 * (b) COMPARE AND CONTRAST: Contrast the father’s and the older son’s response to the younger son’s return. Why do they respond differently?**

The father was happy that the son returned, and the brother was somewhat upset. The father was glad to know that his son was still alive and well. The brother resented the fact that his father welcomed him with open arms after leaving with his share of the money.


 * 3.(a) RECALL: How does the younger son express his repentance?**

The younger son expresses his regret by telling his father that he does no deserve to be called a son. “I am no more worthy to be called thy son.” He tries to get his father to see that he truly feels ashamed of his decision.


 * (b) DEDUCE: How truly repentant do you think the younger son is?**

The answer to his question can be viewed through this quote as the story states, "How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ... I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men." This quote has an ambiguous meaning. On one side, the quote implies that the son is repentant to a great degree since he is willing to work as his father's servant. He probably expected that his father would feel dissapointment. Therefore, in order to repent for his decisions, the son would be willing to submit himself as his father's servant and sever his family tie. On another side, this quote shows that the son is considering his father's generosity as a way to save himself from suffering. He realized that as a servant to the citizen he will not receive any food, but as a servant to his father, he will receive food and a possible chance to save himself from poverty in order to regain wealth. Therefore, he is only protecting his self interest.


 * (c) DRAW CONCLUSIONS: What does the parable suggest about the importance of the motives for repentance?**

The parable is suggesting that the motives for repentence can be important and unimportant. The son might feel terrible about his decisions giving him an important reason to repent; the son, however, might only be protecting his self-interest and use the reasons for repentance as a way to alleviate poverty.


 * 4. (a) RECALL: What specific complaint does the older son make?**

The older son complains that he always does what his father asks of him and yet he never seems to acknowledge it. "Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends."


 * (b) ASSESS: How effectively does the father address his concerns?**

The father was somewhat effective because the father did not seem to address his son's concerns with logic behind his answer. Nevertheless, the father did explain himself why he was overjoyed at his son's return. "My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"


 * 5.(a) INTERPRET: Why does the father say that the younger son is “alive again”?**

The father believes that the son who has returned has learned his lesson. Therefore, the son is reborn in the sense that the son is a new man who has learned from his mistakes.


 * (b) APPLY: In what circumstances might the lesson of the parable apply**
 * today?**

As an example, a child might have money for his lunch. He uses that money to buy something that is not related to food. The child begins to starve and realizes that he should have spent money on food. This relates to the parable since the son is in the same position. He wasted his money on useless items which caused him suffering in the end.


 * 6.** **TAKE A POSITION: Do you think mercy and forgiveness are more important**
 * than, less important than, or equal in importance to justice? Explain, using .**
 * examples from the parable.**

We think mercy and forgiveness are equal to justice since mercy and forgiveness prevent unecessary enforcement of justice. For example, the father noticed that his son had been "lost" meaning that the son has been searching and suffering to learn his lesson. Therefore, he showed mercy and forgiveness towards his son to prevent further unnecessary punishment being enforced upon the son since the son has learned his lesson.