welcome to canterbury cathedral on this tuesday morning of passion week as we follow jesus on his journey to jerusalem and then next week beyond on the journey of the cross wherever our you are in the world be assured of our prayers for you as we say our morning prayers together psalm 46 god is our hope and strength a very present help in trouble therefore will we not fear though the earth be moved and though the hills be carried into the midst of the sea though the waters thereof rage and swell and though the mountains shake at the tempest of the same there is a river the streams were of make glad the city of god the holy place of the tabernacle of the most highest god is in the midst of her therefore shall she not be removed god shall help her and that right early be still then and know that i am god i will be exalted among the nations and i will be exalted in the earth the lord of hosts is with us the god of jacob is our refuge we read part of the gospel of saint luke again telling a story of jesus on his way to jerusalem and again today in the town of jericho yesterday in our morning prayers we were thinking of those lepers that jesus healed today we think of another person who needed a different kind of help and healing jesus entered jericho and was passing through it a man was there named zacchaeus he was a chief tax collector and was rich he was trying to see who jesus was but on account of the crowd he could not see him because he was short in stature so zacchaeus ran ahead and climbed into a sycamore tree to see him because he was going to pass that way when jesus came to the place he looked up and said to him zacchaeus haryan come down for i must stay at your house today so zacchaeus hurried down and was happy to welcome jesus all who saw it began to grumble and said he has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner zacchaeus stood there and said to the lord look half of my possessions lord i will give to the poor and if i have defrauded anyone of anything i will pay back four times as much and jesus said to him today salvation has come to this house because he too is a son of abraham for the son of man came to seek out and to save the lost zacchaeus climbed up into a sycamore tree and came down to welcome jesus into his home it's difficult to think at this time of acts of generous hospitality because so many of us are alone or as a family in our own homes and the kind of generous hospitality we can normally give is impossible for us but here is jesus causing a chief tax collector whom everyone in the town hated because they felt that greedily he had grabbed all their resources and used them for himself grumbling because jesus went into his house we have sycamore trees in the garden they are trees which are generous in a particular way sometimes to the irritation of the gardeners because they spread their seedlings far and wide and little sycamore trees begin to grow they're not leafing yet some of the trees are the crabapple tree coming into leaf but the sycamores soon as spring will come will begin their leafing and then their generosity in sharing their life and we shall take up some of the little trees and maybe allow others to grow zacchaeus then was someone who was used to taking he was rich and he was working for the roman government as a tax collector but when jesus entered his house and jesus said i've come actually to search out the lost when he entered his house a spirit of generosity came over zacchaeus he said half of everything i have i'm going to give to the poor my life will be different from now on and what jesus says more or less means today salvation has come to this house and zacchaeus has once again become a member of this society re-entered the human race in terms of caring for others it's a great lesson that we need to learn at this time when of course we're trying to protect ourselves and our own families but also we're encouraging those who are protecting others sometimes in dangerous circumstances for themselves so as we say our prayers let's think of them and ask for a spirit of generosity in our own lives this is a day when in the calendar the church remembers john dunn who in the 17th century was the dean of st paul's cathedral he's best remembered now for a favorite prayer which was made out of some sentences in one of his sermons and that prayer i'm going to use first before we say our prayer for the people suffering from coronavirus today bring us so lord god at our last awakening into the house and gate of heaven to enter into that gate and dwell in that house where there shall be no darkness nor dazzling but one equal light no noise nor silence but one equal music no fears nor hopes but one equal possession no foes nor friends but one equal communion no ends nor beginnings but one equal eternity in the habitations of your glory and dominion world without end amen and as that prayer causes us to remember the generous hospitality of heaven we pray today with the prayer on our website for all those suffering from kovid 19 and especially today for our leaders in whatever nation we are in as they guide our response to this disease god of all in whom we live and move and have our being breathe upon our leaders your holy spirit the spirit of wisdom and of understanding the spirit of counsel and of might the spirit of the knowledge and fear of the lord that through your guidance they may direct our steps in the ways of safety and wisdom and hope through jesus christ our lord amen so as always when we pray we use the prayer that our savior taught us saying it in whatever language and in whichever way we would like to our father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever are men so in silence we make our own prayers for today for those who lie on our hearts and those whom we have watched and read about across the world in our media and finally a passion tied blessing christ crucified draw you to himself to find in him a sure ground for faith a firm support for hope and the assurance of sins forgiven and the blessing of god almighty the father the son and the holy spirit be upon you and upon those whom you love this day and always amen