Marriage and the Christian life

Marriage is about leaving and cleaving. As Gen 2:24 says...
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

We leave behind our previous family unit and be united in one flesh to our spouse. Paul reveals in Eph 5 that this passage was ultimately talking about Christ and the church.
For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

As Christians we are part of the church, we are betrothed to Christ and await his return as the groom awaits his loving bride to come down the altar. But, I wonder whether this idea of being 'married' to Christ, that is cleaving to him, can also translate to the leaving part of the marriage idea. What is that we leave behind? Jesus' reassuring words to Peter when he wonders who then can be saved in Mk 10 say,
I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters of mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in the present age and in the age to come, eternal life.

For some, the calling of the gospel will mean leaving behind some family and cleaving to Christ.

For others it is leaving behind the pursuit of wealth (as the previous bit in Mk 10 says to the rich young ruler) and cleaving to Christ.

For others it is leaving behind promising careers and cleaving to Christ.

For others it is leaving behind destructive lifestyles and cleaving to Christ.

For others it is leaving behind unfulfilled sporting dreams and cleaving to Christ.

This profound mystery of being 'one flesh' with Christ incorporates both leaving and cleaving. It is a verse for all Christians not just the married ones. And just like marriage relationships have an exclusive nature so it is with Christ, we are to remain faithful to him and not commit adultery.

I'm sure there is more that could be said about this typological relationship between Christ and the Church and marriage and singleness. Over to you......