“For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.”
For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. The privilege of the disciples' historical position: the prophets and righteous people who longed to see the messianic fulfillment did not see it. The disciples are living in the moment that the entire prophetic tradition was pointing toward. The longing of the prophets and the seeing of the disciples create the contrast that makes the disciples' position extraordinary.
Church Fathers on Matthew 13:17
The disciples understanding that the things which were spoken by the Lord to the people were obscure, desired to hint to Him that He should not speak in parables to them. 'And his disciples came to him, and said, Why speakest thou to them in parables?'
Wherein it is worthy admiration, that the disciples who desire to learn of Him, know when they ought to ask Him, for they do not this before the multitude. This Matthew declares, when he says, 'And they came to him;' and Mark more expressly says, that 'they came to him when he was alone.' [Mark 4:10]
We must enquire how they could come to Him at that time when Jesus was sitting in the ship; we may understand that they had at the first entered into the ship, and standing there, made this enquiry of Him.