"I hope you are feeling better today than when I saw you last."
Sounds to me like a caring sentiment.
I don't know what it's like where you live, but around here, you'll hear a lot of laughter at meetings. We take that "we are not a glum lot" stuff to heart. And it's the country with country manners, which sometimes means coming out with what's on your mind rather than a whole lot of polite smiles. Also, I don't know how old the guy is, but it seems (around here) we give quite a bit more latitude to older folks when it comes to conversation. We tend to focus more on the content of their words than on the delivery.
I say that to say this: You're focused on how you feel about what he said rather than on what he said. He said he has hope for you. How wonderful is that?
Peace & Love,
Sugah