"In reply, John said" or "John replied to Jesus." John was responding to what Jesus had said about being the greatest. He was not answering a question. He wanted to know what rank this man who was forcing out demons would have among the disciples.
The word that is translated here as “Master” is a not the normal word for “Master.” This one refers to someone who has authority, and not to someone who owns someone else. You could also translate it as "Boss" or "Foreman" or with a word that is commonly used to address a person in authority, such as “Sir.”
This could be translated as "if a person does not hinder you, it is if they were helping you" or "if someone is not working contrary to you, he is working in your favor." Some modern languages have sayings that mean the same thing.
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