Interesting points. I guess where I struggled with the elder being reprobate was the father saying "son, you are ALWAYS with me, and all I have is yours." This is a different tone than that spoken in other parables to the pharisees, where the subjects are definitely taken out to the place of darkness and weeping/gnashing teeth.

Note also that in Acts 15 and Acts 18, we do have evidence of SOME pharisees and chief priests having become believers.

I had always regarded the elder brother at being bitter at having faithfully served the Lord, but seeing the the younger had engaged in decadent living but was restored with full status as a son. I have read/witnessed this same type of bitterness in life, and that certainly happens that believers can become bitter/jealous/envious of other believers for numerous reasons.

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Randy Harris
Heritage Church (Independent)
Oklahoma City, OK