ElizabethJoy:
I haven’t, but I’m always interested in what Scott Hahn has to say about things.
Is it in a book or on tape or can you give us a “Reader’s Digest” version?
ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/seriessearchprog.asp?seriesID=-306548622&T1= You can hear him, who will do it much more justice than I, explain it in the episode called Gospels 2 (I think! It’s in the second half, and if I’m wrong it’s Gospels 2. The entire series is absolutely fantastic so I’d recommend them all).
The reader’s digest version is this:
Throughout the gospels, the Pharisees keep trying to trap Jesus. They keep trying to show He is against the Law of Moses or get Him into trouble in some way. When they bring the adulterous woman to Him, they are trying to trap Him. You see, the Romans did not allow the Jews to enforce capital punishment. So, the Pharisees laid quite a trap. They come and say to Him, oh great teacher, this woman commited adultery, and the Law says we must stone her, what shall we do? If He says don’t stone her, He will be breaking the Law of Moses and showing that He is not really from God. If He says go ahead and stone her, they can run to the Romans and say, “This man has told us to break the Roman law and put a woman to death,” and He would have been arrested or executed. So Jesus is in quite a position! Now you have to understand somethine about the Pharisees. You probably already do, to a point. Throughout the Gospels, the Pharisees act like they are perfect and can do no wrong. What you may not know is that the Pharisees didn’t just act that way, but they really believed that by merit of their high religious stature they were really and truly sinless. This is the key. When Jesus says to them “let he who is without sin cast the first stone,” he is both at the same time endorsing the Law (to the Pharisees), and denying the Law (the Romans wouldn’t think this means go ahead and stone her). So the Pharisees suddenly realize that he is endorsing the law, but then they realize that they’re the ones “without sin!” They don’t want anything to do with this, because if they go casting stones they’re going to get executed. They suddenly realize that Jesus has them caught in their own trap and go away.
He explains it better and clears up a few minor discrepencies my version may have.