Jesus Christ walked the earth, showing love. He put His love on display when He went about speaking kindly to people, healing the sick, preaching salvation to win lost souls, raising the dead, teaching the people, etc. In time, while still walking in love, He demanded and taught His followers to love Him in return, and, mind you, Jesus does not expect any cheap love from His followers. The world can never love Jesus, it never did while He walked the earth and it never will. But we the followers of Jesus have all that it takes to love Him even to death. Our love for Jesus could be described as more or less as compared to the love we have for other people and things.
Loving Jesus more
Loving Jesus more means we love Jesus Christ more than our fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, children, friends, pastors, presidents, etc. This is the kind of love Jesus expects from all those who profess to be His disciples. Jesus Christ does not settle for cheap love, He wants you to render to Him the best love you can offer.
If a Christian is unwilling to offer Jesus more love than the love he offers other people and things, such a Christian is counted as unworthy of Christ; which means he does not deserve to be regarded as a follower of Christ
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me (Matthew 10:37)
Jesus was long gone before we were born. Hence, none of us ever saw Him, touched Him, or met Him in person. Rather, we Christians are connected to Him through the Spirit and the word of God. I mean all that is left of Jesus Christ for us Christians is the Holy Spirit who lives in us and the Bible He has given us to follow. To love Jesus more is such that if our bosses, parents, friends, spouses, etc. tell us to sit, and the Bible tells us to stand, we should ignore what they are saying and follow what the Bible says.
Loving Jesus less
Loving Jesus less means we love our fathers, mothers, children, etc. more than Jesus Christ. This is the kind of love Jesus Christ would not settle for.
If Jesus is not the first on the list of things and people you love, and if your love for Him is not so strong that you are ever willing to die for Him, then what a cheap love you have for the Son of God. Well, Jesus Christ has already shown His displeasure for cheap love, and in plain words, He made us understand that He is not willing to accommodate those disciples who love Him less (Matthew 10:37).
What Jesus said about how we should show our love to Him.
You know yourself better than any other person on this earth: you know what you like and dislike, and you know how you would like others to treat you, or behave towards you, or regard you, etc. In the same vein, Jesus knows Himself better than we do. Hence He had the patience to explain to us how he would like us to demonstrate our love for Him.
If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15).
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him (John 14:21).
John 14:15 and John 14:21 are self-explanatory enough. In plain words, Jesus teaches that obedience to His words is the sure way to show your love for Him. However, it is very possible for people to profess love for Jesus, hail His name, and sing praises to His name, and yet live in disobedience to His word. For such people Jesus said,
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven (Matthew 7:21).
The Christian who loves Jesus more versus the Christian who loves Jesus less
The Christian who loves Jesus more is the Christian who loves Jesus Christ more than his father, mother, sister, brother, friends, teachers, the president, the king, his pastor, the pope, etc. The Christian who loves Jesus less is the Christian who loves his father, mother, brother, etc. more than Jesus Christ.
The Christian who loves Jesus less compromises on the word of God to please his father, mother, friends, boss, the president, the king, etc. Whereas the Christian who loves Jesus more is faithful and walks in obedience to God’s word without fear or favor.
The Christian who loves Jesus less lives his life to please his family, friends, pastor, etc. Whereas the Christian who loves Jesus more lives his life to please God.
The Christian who loves Jesus less will do whatever he is told even if it is a sin against God. Whereas the Christian who loves Christ more will consider the morality of every advice or order he is given, and he will only obey it if it is in line with the word of God.
The Christian who loves Jesus less follows the bad examples of those people he loves. Whereas the Christian who loves Jesus more follows the worthy examples of Christ.
The Christian who loves Jesus less is ashamed of Jesus in the presence of his father, mother, friends, his boss, the president, etc.; that is, he is unwilling to identify himself as one who follows Jesus’ teachings because of fear of ridicule, embarrassment or meeting their disapproval. Whereas the Christian who loves Jesus more identifies himself as a true Christian in deeds and words wherever he finds himself.
The Christian who loves Jesus less looks on when his spouse, children, friends, etc. are going wayward or are living in sin and does not correct nor rebuke them for fear of displeasing them. Whereas the Christian who loves Jesus more rebukes his children, family, friends, etc. when they are going wayward.
The Christian who loves Jesus less does not witness about Jesus to his unbelieving relatives and friends for fear of displeasing them. Whereas the Christian who loves Jesus more witnesses about Him to his unbelieving relatives and friends.
Conclusion
If you love Jesus less, you become guilty of ‘not worthy‘; that is, you do not deserve any more to be counted among the saved followers of Jesus. By extension, you shall lose Christ – you shall lose His Holy Spirit and any other blessing you received upon accepting Him as your Lord and Savior.