Last month I had my annual appointment with my optician. With all the gadgetry he now has at his disposal he was able to show me that I have the beginnings of macular degeneration in my left eye; and that I am developing cataracts in both eyes. I was not really surprised. I put it down to ‘wear and tear’, as I would with an aging car.

The last time I consulted him he told me that providing me with stronger lenses in my glasses would make little difference in my ability to see; this time he decided to refer me to the local hospital because of the cataracts. Meanwhile, he advised, I should try to read with a stronger light, and perhaps a magnifying glass. With that advice I am better able to read the smaller print. Thankfully I am still able to see.

‘There are none so blind as those who do not see’ is a well-known saying; it does not refer to people who have lost their sight completely.

Recently my wife and I were told of a tv programme we had never watched – the ‘1% CLUB’ – a curious title for a quiz programme. Now we try not to miss it. At the beginning of each episode (you will know it if you watch it) the quiz-master explains that general knowledge is not required; it is down to brain power. The answers may be obvious to some, but not to others; there are none so blind as those who do not see.

In the Gospel accounts, Jesus often spoke in parables. According to St Matthew, the first parable Jesus uttered was ‘The Sower’. He used the analogy of the seed to be like the word of God. There are some who understand the meaning behind the parable; others, not so.

The disciples asked Jesus why he spoke in parables. His answer: ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to others it has not been given.’

Sadly, there are none so blind as those who have no wish to see.