Here we see God's attitude as represented by the father. He quickly sought to reconcile himself with his son. In this we see that he wasn't thinking just of himself or of "justice" but his love for his son was uppermost - and in this Jesus meant to demonstrate the heavenly Father's own attitude to those who have strayed.
Not for the father a 'qualifying period" or even of "works befitting repentance", both things that the WTS instructs the elders to comply with. No, this father's love was evident by his rushing to meet his son, by his giving a party, by his placing the son in an honoured position.
Interestingly the WTs instructs elders to ensure that reinstated persons are to keep quiiet, are to be restricted, are to be viewed as spiritually inferior during a period of review..
So it begs the question, where is the love in the WTS' arrangements, unscriptural though they are?
'Quick! bring him out a robe, the best one, and clothe him with it, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.
I must be reading that passage through nurses' eyes now. One of the most important things in patient care is allowing the person to regain or preserve their dignity. Replacing a tattered robe with a new one "the best one", putting a ring on his hand - in recognition of his proper place in the family (if I remember correctly, Israelites had special patterns woven into their garments to identify their tribe/family - kind of the way tartans are used to identify Scottish clans), and putting sandals on his tired feet, all speak to me of a restoration of dignity. I probably would have given him a bath too, but that's just me being nursely.
JW's often point to the consciences of unnamed weak people as their excuse for doing or not doing things. "If we do this, it might stumble somebody," was the phrase that shut down anything fun you might ever want to do.
A variety of that goes on with reinstatement, as brought out in Leebo's comments. They are concerned with how the congregation will feel about the reinstatement. While a case could be made for that perhaps, it makes an interesting contrast with the prodigal son story. There the older brother is 'stumbled' by the fact that the father is treating his wayward son so well -- robes, rings, party. Rather than shut it all down with the "we might be stumbling your brother" routine, the father basically says, "I got my son back and I'm happy. Deal with it."
