Vatican City, Jan 31, 2017 / 08:49 am
Jesus wasn't worried about his polling results, Pope Francis said Tuesday – instead, he was concerned with each and every person, seeing everything about them, even those things which were seemingly small or inconsequential.
"Statisticians might have been inclined to publish: 'Rabbi Jesus' popularity is falling.' But he sought something else: he sought people," the Pope said Jan. 31 during Mass at Casa Santa Marta.
"And the people sought him. The people had their gaze fixed on him, and he had his fixed on them."
People might be tempted to say, yes, Jesus looks on the people, "on the multitude," Francis said, but no, he looks on each individual person. "This is the peculiarity of Jesus' gaze," he explained. "He does not standardize people; He looks at each person."