THEOSISGregory of Nyssa
The torturer's resentment towards both the overseers and the Israelites intensified significantly; the task of making bricks was made even more strenuous, with a new command issued that required them not only to exhaust themselves in their work but also to gather straw (Ex. 5:12).
Yet, the proclamation was true, and freedom was announced, eagerly accepted by those who listened. This provoked the enemy, leading to increased suffering for those who adhered to this message of deliverance. Such a situation persists today. Many who once embraced the doctrine that liberated them from their oppressor and followed its teachings continue to face temptation from those who oppose it.
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Some of these individuals, having been fortified by their trials, gain wisdom and perseverance; however, others, in similar situations, lose heart, declaring that it would have been better for them to remain unenlightened than to endure such hardships as a consequence of their newfound freedom. A similar scenario unfolded at that time; the Israelites, in their fear, reproached those who had announced their rescue from servitude. However, let not the appealing word that calls us to beauty diminish, even if a less mature person, unacquainted with temptations, fears them naively. For the wicked adversary strives to ensnare those who succumb to him, their gaze fixed not above but upon the earth, constructing for themselves foundations of worldly pleasure from earthly materials. It is evident to all that what satisfies carnal desires is derived from earth or water. The provisions gained for the body and perceived as wealth are mixtures of the earth and water, symbolically represented as bricks. Those who pursue such fleeting pleasures, consuming them greedily, find themselves in an endless cycle of emptiness. Indeed, what is filled constantly becomes empty when approached again. Likewise, the brickmaker easily discerns this truth; after satisfying one desire, if another arises, he finds himself wanting once more. This cycle of unfulfilled yearning continues within us until our earthly existence concludes. What meaning do the chaff and husks hold that the one under the torturer's demands must add to the bricks? The Holy Gospel and the Apostle’s teachings elucidate that both “wheat... and straw” (Matt. 3:12; 1 Cor. 3:12) are equally fuel for the fire. Thus, when anyone devoted to righteousness seeks to guide those ensnared by deception towards a life of virtue and freedom, the one who, as the Apostle suggests, employs various tactics against our souls (Eph. 6:11) can counter the Divine truth with alluring falsehoods. Only that which is material and carnal is considered worthy by those enslaved by base desires.