While on holiday in Malta, I visited Valetta; there I
noticed a few street corner sculptures of figures most probably carved from
stone. Two of them portrayed Mary, the
mother of Jesus. Other biblical characters were also represented. They were
visual reminders of characters who featured in the Gospels. Sculptures of Mary depicted
her carrying the infant Christ.
Above we have two photos of them and here we have one of Peter the
Apostle who holds a key. You may remember that Jesus promised him He would give
him, ‘the keys of the kingdom of heaven’. (Matthew 16:19) Exactly what this
meant is open to debate, and at this point in time I do not want to enter into
a personal exegesis, but the fact that he carries a key, most likely identifies
the subject as Peter. He also holds what may be a sword with blood on the
blade. Peter used a sword to cut off the right ear of Malchus,* the High Priest’s
servant, when Jesus was being arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. The sword
could be symbolic, standing for authority, justice, judgment or the word
of God. By use of the sword, Jesus was numbered
with the transgressors.**
*John 18:10
**Mark 15:28, Luke 22:37, 38
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