It’s a very interesting topic you are bringing up. Recognizing how many interpretations of the scripture there can be and that my thoughts on this are not very organized, I want to bring up two points:
- Re impartiality. As other people mentioned already, Samaritan was perceived as ‘other’, ‘foreigner’, or ‘an enemy’. But also in other parts of the scripture, when Jesus is asked about his mother and brothers waiting for him, he replies that his brothers and mother are ‘here’ [referring to his extended group of disciples]. Similarly, his actions are not constrained by his family but often are directed towards more ‘foreign″ and ‘enemy/immoral’ parts of society. -Re geographic proximity, which I think is a bit more valuable point here: Jesus’s disciples receive instructions to go around the world, often in comparatively remote regions of it in relation to Judea and borders of the Roman Empire, and to preach Christianity. Preaching Christianity is perceived as a good thing that leads to salvation as per Bible, and persuading others in Jesus’s teaching is perceived as a good thing to do. So, by specifically going to remote parts of the world to ‘do good’, you can make an argument that the scripture shows care for geographically remote people.
I do agree it would be a bit of a stretch to include longterm and care for temporarily remote people.
It’s a very interesting topic you are bringing up. Recognizing how many interpretations of the scripture there can be and that my thoughts on this are not very organized, I want to bring up two points:
- Re impartiality. As other people mentioned already, Samaritan was perceived as ‘other’, ‘foreigner’, or ‘an enemy’. But also in other parts of the scripture, when Jesus is asked about his mother and brothers waiting for him, he replies that his brothers and mother are ‘here’ [referring to his extended group of disciples]. Similarly, his actions are not constrained by his family but often are directed towards more ‘foreign″ and ‘enemy/immoral’ parts of society.
-Re geographic proximity, which I think is a bit more valuable point here: Jesus’s disciples receive instructions to go around the world, often in comparatively remote regions of it in relation to Judea and borders of the Roman Empire, and to preach Christianity. Preaching Christianity is perceived as a good thing that leads to salvation as per Bible, and persuading others in Jesus’s teaching is perceived as a good thing to do. So, by specifically going to remote parts of the world to ‘do good’, you can make an argument that the scripture shows care for geographically remote people.
I do agree it would be a bit of a stretch to include longterm and care for temporarily remote people.