Self-preservation is the first law of nature, but self-sacrifice is the highest rule of grace.

Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ.  - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Gospel Text: (Mt 10:34—11:1)

Jesus said to his Apostles:
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one’s enemies will be those of his household.

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

“Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet’s reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is righteous
will receive a righteous man’s reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because he is a disciple–
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,
he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.

Yes, it's true.  How we live the Gospel has consequences for eternal life.  That is why Jesus goes on to say,

"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 10:37-39).

Far from displacing our families and friends, discipleship in Christ re-orders our lives so that we can love others more precisely because we love God the most.  "The first vocation of the Christian is to follow Jesus" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2232).

This spirit of authentic discipleship is at once demanding and energizing.  Jesus requires a great deal of his followers - of us.  But that is so that he can give us more than we expect or deserve: a share in his divine life and, one day, eternal happiness with him.