I see a difference in the german issue of WT-Library to the english one
*** w81 3/1 p. 27 Do You Appreciate the "Faithful and Discreet Slave"? ***The "faithful and discreet slave" has abundant credentials. Following is a partial list of Scriptural and prophetic designations applying to or being represented in the remnant of Jesus Christ?s anointed followers since the notable year 1919:
englisch: (50) little flock of sheep, Luke 12:32;
german: (50) older brother of the prodigal son, Luke. 15:25;(50. älterer Bruder des verlorenen Sohnes, Luk. 15:25;)
Can someone please check the single magazine of march 1st 1981? - not the bound volume!
Of course the part in the german wt is funny with todays explanation:
*** w98 10/1 pp. 14-15 Imitate Jehovah?s Mercy *** 3 In the second part of his parable of the prodigal, Jesus exposed the corrupt thinking of the Jewish religious leaders. In the parable the father, who represents Jehovah, was eager to forgive his repentant son. But the boy?s older brother, who typified "the Pharisees and the scribes," had completely different feelings on the matter.?Luke 15:2.A Brother?s Wrath
4
"Now his older son was in the field; and as he came and got near the house he heard a music concert and dancing. So he called one of the servants to him and inquired what these things meant. He said to him, ?Your brother has come, and your father slaughtered the fattened young bull, because he got him back in good health.? But he became wrathful and was unwilling to go in."?Luke 15:25-28.5
Clearly, the prodigal was not the only one in Jesus? parable who had a problem. "Both the sons here sketched are lost," says one reference work, "the one through the unrighteousness that degrades him, the other through the self-righteousness which blinds him." Note that the prodigal?s brother not only refused to rejoice but also "became wrathful." The Greek root for "wrath" suggests, not so much an outburst of anger, but an abiding condition of the mind. Apparently, the prodigal?s brother harbored a deep-seated resentment, so he felt it was inappropriate to celebrate the return of someone who should never have left home in the first place.6
The prodigal?s brother well represents those who resented the compassion and attention that Jesus accorded sinners. These self-righteous ones were not touched by Jesus? mercy; neither did they reflect the joy in heaven that arises when a sinner is forgiven. Instead, Jesus? mercy provoked their wrath, and they began "thinking wicked things" in their hearts. (Matthew 9:2-4) On one occasion the anger of some Pharisees was so intense that they summoned a man whom Jesus had healed and then "threw him out" of the synagogue?apparently expelling him! (John 9:22, 34) Like the prodigal?s brother, who was "unwilling to go in," the Jewish religious leaders balked when they had opportunity to "rejoice with people who rejoice." (Romans 12:15) Jesus further exposed their wicked reasoning as he continued his parable.Faulty Reasoning
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"Then his father came out and began to entreat him. In reply he said to his father, ?Here it is so many years I have slaved for you and never once did I transgress your commandment, and yet to me you never once gave a kid for me to enjoy myself with my friends. But as soon as this your son who ate up your means of living with harlots arrived, you slaughtered the fattened young bull for him.?"?Luke 15:28-30.8
With these words, the prodigal?s brother made it clear that he had missed the true meaning of sonship. He served his father much the way an employee serves his employer. As he told his father: "I have slaved for you." True, this eldest son had never left home or transgressed his father?s commandment. But was his obedience motivated by love? Did he find real joy in serving his father, or had he instead drifted into smug complacency, believing himself to be a good son simply because he performed his duties "in the field"? If he was truly a devoted son, why did he fail to reflect his father?s mind? When given opportunity to show mercy to his brother, why was there no room for compassion in his heart? ?Compare Psalm 50:20-22.9
The Jewish religious leaders resembled this older son. They believed that they were loyal to God because they strictly adhered to a code of laws. Granted, obedience is vital. (1 Samuel 15:22) But their overemphasis on works turned worship of God into a bookish routine, a mere shell of devotion with no true spirituality. Their minds were obsessed with traditions. Their hearts were loveless. Why, they regarded common folk like the dirt beneath their feet, even contemptuously referring to them as "accursed people." (John 7:49) Really, how could God be impressed with the works of such leaders when their hearts were far removed from him??Matthew 15:7, 8.