What does Matthew 13:10 mean?
Matthew described Jesus speaking to a large crowd gathered on the shore of the Sea of Galilee while sitting in a boat. It is possible that the conversation with His closer group of disciples (Matthew 13:10–23) takes place after that larger teaching session has ended.In either case, Matthew pictures two different groups of people listening to Jesus' teaching. One group is made up of His disciples, which would have included the Twelve (Matthew 10:1–4) and possibly others. The other group is "the crowds." This segment is made up of Israelites who have travelled far to find healing for themselves or their loved ones, to witness miraculous healings, or to hear Jesus' teaching.
The disciples now ask why Jesus speaks to the other group, the crowds, in parables. Jesus has not always done this when speaking to large crowds, including in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5—7). It may represent a change in His teaching style. This change makes Jesus' immediate meaning less clear, something the disciples would have wondered about. Christ will show in the following verses He is deliberately adding a thin layer of obscurity to His teaching, and will explain why.